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Ola Aina names Mikel, Moses, Iwobi as key influences in Nigeria allegiance switch

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Ola Aina names Mikel, Moses, Iwobi as key influences in Nigeria allegiance switch

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigeria defender Ola Aina has revealed that John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses, and Alex Iwobi played pivotal roles in his decision to switch international allegiance from England to Nigeria.

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast hosted by Gary Lineker, Aina reflected on the factors that led to his switch after initially representing England at youth level.

“Family connection, that’s my origin, so I’ll always say I’m Nigerian as well,” the 28-year-old said. “When I knew they [Nigeria] were interested, it was sort of a no-brainer because I hadn’t played international football for England for almost two seasons.”

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Aina came through Chelsea’s academy and played for England at various youth levels.

However, after a 19-month spell without international appearances for the Three Lions, he opted to commit to Nigeria.

Aina made his senior debut for the Super Eagles in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Zambia, coming off the bench to replace Elderson Echiejile in the closing minutes.

He cited the presence of familiar faces in the Nigerian squad at the time as a decisive factor in the move.

“My friend was there at the time—John Obi Mikel, Victor Moses was there, Alex Iwobi was there—so it just felt right,” he added.

Since making the switch, Aina has earned 46 caps for Nigeria and established himself as a consistent presence in the team’s defensive lineup, featuring in major tournaments and qualifiers.

The Nottingham Forest fullback is considered one of the most successful diaspora talents to commit to the Super Eagles in recent years.

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Samuel Ahmadu
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.
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