By Monsurah Olatunji
Nigeria international Ola Aina has shared the key to Nottingham Forest’s impressive top-four charge in the Premier League.
The Tricky Trees secured a notable 1-0 victory over Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City at the City Ground, moving four points clear of the defending champions.
The win sees Forest sitting third in the Premier League with 51 points after 28 games.
This season, they have defeated lower-ranked teams and claimed crucial points against top sides like Liverpool, Tottenham, and Manchester clubs.
Aina, who played the full 90 minutes, played a key role in keeping Manchester City’s Jeremie Doku quiet throughout the match.
After the game, Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand, working as a pitch-side reporter, asked Aina for the secret behind Forest’s unexpected success.
“A group like us, we need it (the playful atmosphere); it keeps the positivity whether we get the results or we don’t,” Aina explained.
“It keeps a positive mindset in and around the training ground and in the team. Him (Callum Hudson-Odoi), myself, we make sure that it’s always high.”
With such an atmosphere, Aina believes Forest will continue to challenge for a top finish as they aim to secure their spot in European competitions next season.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey 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.
