Nigeria defender Ola Aina has been ruled out of the upcoming 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), while uncertainty surrounds the return date of compatriot Taiwo Awoniyi, according to Nottingham Forest manager Sean Dyche.
Aina has been sidelined since suffering a hamstring injury during Nigeria’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against South Africa in September. Dyche confirmed that the full-back will not be fit again until the new year, effectively ruling him out of the continental tournament.
“Ola is expected to be sidelined until the new year,” Dyche said, revealing that scans conducted at Forest showed the defender required surgery, which will keep him out for at least three months. As a result, Aina was omitted from Forest’s 25-man Premier League squad for the first half of the season, with striker Awoniyi included instead.
Awoniyi, who has struggled for game time this season, played only 30 minutes in the recent league match against Leeds. Although he did not appear to suffer any injury during the game, Dyche disclosed that the striker is now dealing with a fresh concern.
“I thought Taiwo did really well when he came on against Leeds. Unfortunately, he has now picked up a bit of an injury and we will see how that settles down,” the manager said.
The latest setbacks come as Nigeria continues to assess its squad depth ahead of the AFCON, with head coach Finidi George already dealing with other injuries across the team.
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.
