Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina has opened up about the pressure of playing for Nigeria, saying the expectations from fans are extremely high.
Aina, 29, has been part of the Super Eagles since making his international debut under former coach Gernot Rohr in 2017.
Born in London, the defender played for England at youth level before choosing to represent Nigeria at senior level.
He has since become an important player for the Super Eagles, although injuries and club commitments have sometimes limited his appearances.
Aina recently spoke about his experience with the national team in an episode of his personal vlog on YouTube.
According to the defender, playing for Nigeria is exciting but comes with huge pressure because of the expectations from supporters across the country and Africa.
“Playing for Nigeria is exciting. It’s exciting, but at the same time, the expectations in Nigeria are just mad,” Aina said.
He explained that the pressure goes beyond Nigerian fans because the Super Eagles are regarded as one of Africa’s major football teams.
“It’s not only from Nigeria, though. It’s all of Africa — African giants for a reason. Because it’s the whole continent watching, the expectations are always through the roof,” he added.
Aina said Nigerian supporters want more than just victories. They also expect the team to play attractive football.
“Nigerians want to see good football. We could win games, but if we’re not winning in good fashion, they start getting onto us. Obviously, when we win, they’re happy, but they want to be entertained,” he said.
The defender, however, believes there are times when the most important thing should simply be getting the result.
“Sometimes you just need to get the job done without necessarily putting on a show. The expectations make it hard sometimes, but it’s part of the game,” he added.
Aina returned to the Super Eagles recently after more than a year away from the team and played in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Madagascar.
He was later left on the bench as Nigeria suffered a 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau.
The Nottingham Forest defender will now hope to remain fit and continue playing an important role for the Super Eagles in their upcoming matches.
