Nuno Espirito Santo Reveals Ola Aina Played AFCON Final with Injury

Ahead of Nottingham Forest’s match against Aston Villa, manager Nuno Espirito Santo disclosed that Super Eagles defender Ola Aina bravely battled through injury during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final against Cote d’Ivoire.

Espirito Santo revealed that Aina sustained the injury during the semi-final victory over South Africa, where he notably missed a penalty before Nigeria secured the win in a shootout, thanks to Kelechi Iheanacho’s heroics.

Despite playing through pain, Aina’s performance in the final drew criticism from fans and pundits after Nigeria suffered a 2-1 defeat to Cote d’Ivoire. However, Espirito Santo commended Aina’s determination and resilience in the face of adversity.

“Ola Aina got injured in the semi-final and played the final with an injury, he tried but didn’t really play in the final.

“Ibrahim, the same, he was struggling since he was there at the AFCON.

“So the three of them (Ola, Willy, Ibrahim) are not available for this match, which is bad for us. We don’t have a date for their return,” Espirito Santo stated.