Super Eagles fullback Ola Aina has revealed that he is determined to feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, admitting that it could be his final opportunity to play on football’s biggest stage, Bold Sports reports.
The 28-year-old, who has featured in three Africa Cup of Nations tournaments for Nigeria (2019, 2021, 2023), is yet to make an appearance at the World Cup. He was included in Nigeria’s provisional 30-man squad for the 2018 tournament in Russia but failed to make the final list.
In an exclusive interview with the 90s Baby Show, Aina voiced out his World Cup ambitions, expressing how much the upcoming tournament in Canada, Mexico, and the United States, means to him.
“In 2018, I wasn’t selected. I was supposed to go but the manager didn’t pick me. 2022, we didn’t qualify so this 2026, I’m putting all my energy into it. I need to, because if not, my World Cup dream’s over.”
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“I would be too old, and I’m not tryna get in people’s way. It’s in the States, I need to be there, Aina added.
Nigeria’s hopes of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup are currently hanging in the balance. The Super Eagles are fourth in their qualifying group with seven points from six matches, trailing Rwanda and Benin by two points and sitting six points behind group leaders South Africa.
Despite the uphill task, Aina remains confident in the team’s ability to turn things around and seal a World Cup spot.
“There’s four games left and we need to win all four. I think we can do it though, our team has the quality. It depends on other results, but we don’t wanna be doing that. Just go there and win.”
The Super Eagles will resume their World Cup qualifying campaign on September 1 with a must-win match against Rwanda. A challenging away fixture against South Africa follows on September 8, before they take on Lesotho and Benin on October 6 and 13, respectively.
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