By Wale Mustapha
Nigeria defender Ola Aina has expressed optimism about Nottingham Forest’s chances of securing a top-four finish in the English Premier League this season, a position that could see them qualify for UEFA Champions League football next year.
The Tricky Trees have been in scintillating form, with impressive performances that have propelled them to fourth place in the league after a 2-0 victory over Brentford on Saturday.
Aina played a key role in the win, scoring the opening goal and assisting Anthony Elanga for the second.
While acknowledging that the season is still unfolding, Aina is not ruling out the possibility of Champions League football for his side.
“You don’t know, but it’s really good work we’re doing,” Aina said.
“We are just focusing on ourselves, and taking it game by game. But it is good to dream a little bit.
“As long as we work hard and just keep our heads and not get too carried away, I’m sure things will b”e fantastic, come May.”
With Forest now in the hunt for European football, Aina and his teammates are determined to maintain their form and continue challenging for a place in the top four.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
