Ola Aina: Super Eagles Star Eyes World Cup Semifinal Despite Qualification Struggles

• The Super Eagles of Nigeria currently face the possibility of missing out on the 2026 World Cup tournament
• The West African football powerhouse currently sit fifth following four rounds of FIFA qualification fixtures
• Versatile defender, Ola Aina, has reiterated the current Nigeria team can reach the semifinal of the next World Cup

It would be a grave mistake to overlook the current predicament facing the Super Eagles as they vie for qualification to the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The West African powerhouse are without a permanent head coach since the departure of Finidi George, and have largely been plagued with this coaching crisis since the end of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament in Ivory Coast.

This ongoing coaching crisis has undoubtedly contributed to the team's lacklustre performance in the FIFA World Cup qualification series.

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Currently, the Super Eagles are languishing in fifth place in Group C, having failed to secure a victory in their first four matches.

Despite the dwindling hopes of reaching the World Cup in the Americas, versatile defender Ola Aina remains optimistic. He believes the team has the talent to not only qualify but potentially advance to the semi-finals of the tournament.

Ola Aina speaks on Nigeria's World Cup dreams

In a recent interview on his YouTube channel, the Nottingham Forest defender, who missed the last two qualification matches due to injury, expressed his belief that the team can still secure a spot in the tournament.

"I can't lie to you; I think we will get there. It's calm," he said.

"Is it a bit of a stretch? I don’t know. But just like Ghana made it to the quarter-finals in 2010, with the squad we have now, we could reach the semi-finals. I believe our team is so talented that we can achieve something significant. The Africa Cup of Nations was just a glimpse of our potential."

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Teammate Alex Iwobi echoed Aina's optimism, acknowledging the challenges but not ruling out Nigeria's chance to qualify.

"We still have a chance, I’m not going to lie. We’ve definitely made it harder for ourselves," Iwobi admitted.

According to data from Fotmob, a perfect run in the final six qualification games could secure the Super Eagles a spot in the 2026 World Cup.

Aina speaks on AFCON final display

Legit.ng in another report detailed that Aina has opened up about his struggle in the AFCON final.

The 27-year-old explained that he played the crucial fixture with a hamstring injury.

Source: Legit.ng