Ola Aina Fears Failing To Play In FIFA World Cup

Super Eagles of Nigeria right-back, Ola Aina, has hinted that the 2026 FIFA World Cup might be his last chance of playing in the competition.

Ola Aina, who currently plays as a defender for Nottingham Forest, reflected on his painful absence from previous tournaments, especially the 2018 edition of the tournament in Russia.

“I got shenked in 2018,” Aina said, referring to then-coach Gernot Rohr’s decision to leave him out of the squad for the competition. “That manager shenked me, I was supposed to go, but he did rubbish.”

The 27-year-old, who will turn 29 just a few months before the 2026 tournament, is not holding back anymore. After also missing out in 2022, when the Super Eagles failed to qualify following a playoff heartbreak against arch-rivals Ghana, Aina knows what is at stake.

“Then obviously we didn’t qualify in 2022. So this 2026, I’m putting all my energy into it. I need to go because if not, I think my World Cup dream is over,” he said.

“I’ll be too old and I’m not trying to get in other people’s place, and it’s in the US. I need to be there. There are five (four) games left and we need to win all.”

Currently, the Super Eagles sit fourth in Group C of the CAF World Cup Qualifiers, six points adrift of group leaders South Africa. With just four games remaining, Nigeria’s chances of booking a ticket to the U.S.-Mexico-Canada World Cup are hanging by a thread.

Only the top team in each group secures automatic qualification, making every remaining fixture a must-win for the three-time African champions.