Fulham midfielder, Alex Iwobi, has singled out one player really missed by the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Iwobi said that not having Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina in the team has really affected the Super Eagles.
But the former Arsenal man pointed out that the right backs, Bright Osayi-Samuel and Ryan Alebiosu have done a good job in Morocco.
The Nottingham Forest defender was first added to the Super Eagles’ temporary team for the current competition but was left out of the final group because of worries about his fitness.
Aina has now come back to full fitness and played in Nottingham Forest’s last two Premier League matches.
However, he was out for more than three months after getting a hamstring injury very early in Nigeria’s 1–1 draw with South Africa during a 2026 World Cup qualifier.
Aina was one of Nigeria’s best players at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
When asked if the Super Eagles players have missed Ola Aina, Iwobi said during Friday’s pre-match press conference, “When it comes to Ola Aina, he’s a big miss.
“He’s a major figure both on and off the field, and we understand the high level of skill he brings.
“But at the same time, our right-backs, Bright and Ryan, have done such a good job, so it’s almost as if we haven’t missed him too much.
“Of course, Ola is a really good player, but at the same time, Bright is also really good, and so is Ryan. We have good right-backs and good defenders, which is a big advantage for Nigeria.
“Even though we’re missing one player, we still have good players covering a lot of different positions.
“Ola Aina is like one of my closest friends in football. I do miss him as well. He has been sending messages and keeping in contact.
“The most important thing right now is that he’s recovered and is back playing for his team. He’s also sending messages to us, saying he hopes we do well, so of course he’s missed, but he’s still with us in spirit.”
