Ola Aina opens up on struggles in AFCON final against Adingra

1 month ago 2

The Super Eagles of Nigeria locked horns with Ivory Coast in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
Ola Aina was one of the players who put in an underwhelming shift on the final night of the showpiece
The Nottingham Forest defender has explained the reason behind his poor display in the crunch final

The Super Eagles of Nigeria fell to defeat in the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) against the host nation, Ivory Coast.

The Nigerian team, who were largely dubbed favourites leading into the finale, wasted little time showing their intent, with captain, William Troost-Ekong, opening the scoring with a brilliant header in the first half.

Ola Aina and Simon Adingra in the AFCON final

The Nigerian side then focused on defending against Les Éléphants for the remainder of the match—however, Brighton forward, Simon Adingra's individual brilliance created two crucial scoring opportunities for the hosts. Franck Kessié and Sébastien Haller capitalised on these chances to secure the title for Ivory Coast.

The goals conceded by Nigeria were attributed to defensive errors, particularly by Ola Aina. Despite a stellar tournament up to that point, Aina struggled to contain the agile Adingra, who provided both assists.

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Following the heartbreaking loss, Aina has addressed the reasons behind his underperformance in the final.

Aina speaks on poor AFCON performance

Describing the circumstances of the final, versatile defender Ola Aina revealed that he played through a hamstring injury.

Aina explained that he chose to participate despite the injury due to the uncertainty of whether he would have another chance to play in an AFCON final.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aina, joined by fellow Nigerian, Alex Iwobi, clarified:

"Let me set the record straight. Credit where it's due to the player who created the goal and assist [Adingra]. He's a great player, no doubt. But I was playing on one leg. Missing the AFCON final was not an option for me.I've seen some people criticising the coach, but it wasn't his fault. He asked me if I could play, and I said I could. This was an AFCON final; I had to be out there.I tried to manage, and I didn't manage clearly. Allow it, please. I didn't get cooked. If I had, I would have said it."

Aina was a crucial player for Nigeria throughout the AFCON tournament. According to Fotmob data, he played in every match as the Nigerian team secured the silver medal.