By Wale Mustapha
Former Super Eagles captain Joseph Yobo has backed Ola Aina’s potential move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, predicting it would be a significant step forward in the defender’s career.
Yobo, who enjoyed a successful spell in the English Premier League (EPL) with Everton and Norwich City, believes Aina possesses the qualities needed to excel at a club like Manchester City under Pep Guardiola.
“Aina is currently one of the top three right-backs in the Premier League, and joining Manchester City wouldn’t surprise me at all. It would be a masterstroke for both the player and Manchester City,” Yobo told Africafoot.
The former defender continued, “He’s an imposing defender but also an excellent attacker, something Guardiola looks for in his full-backs.”
Aina, who has been in strong form for Forest, played a key role in their 4-1 victory over Southampton last weekend, a result that keeps them third in the Premier League standings, ahead of fifth-placed Manchester City. With his strong performances continuing to garner attention, Aina’s potential move to Manchester City could be on the horizon.
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.
