Nuno Espirito Santo, coach of Nottingham Forest, has revealed Ola Aina’s disappointment following the Super Eagles’ loss to Ivory Coast in the 2023 AFCON final. Santo expressed confidence in Aina’s future opportunities to clinch the prestigious title. During a pre-match press conference for Nottingham Forest’s upcoming Premier League fixture against West Ham United, Santo stated, “We mentioned before it was a [AFCON] final. Ibrahim, Boly and Serge we have to congratulate them but same time Ola for sure is disappointed but for sure he will have another chance in the future.”

Aina faced criticism for his performance, particularly in an individual battle with Ivory Coast’s Simon Adingra during the AFCON final, which ended with a 2-1 victory for Ivory Coast.