Connect with us

AFCON

Why Ola Aina is a glaring absentee in Peseiro’s current army

Published

on

Why Ola Aina is a glaring absentee in Peseiro’s current army




User Rating:

0
(0 votes)
Ola Aina (L) with some other Super Eagles’ players

BY KUNLE SOLAJA.

Rear guard, Ola Aina is missing in the list of 23 players that Coach José Santos Peseiro has invited to the double encounter with Guinea Bissau next week in the resumed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

Advertisement

The Torino of Italy defender is under suspension for the encounters.

Sports Village Square recalls that the Torino defender was cautioned in the two matches the Super Eagles have played so far in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers.

He got his first yellow card in the 73rd minute of Nigeria’s encounter with Sierra Leone in Abuja. Days later, he was again booked in the 58th minute of the  10-0 defeat of Sao Tome in Morocco.

In accordance to Article 42.1 of the Regulations of the Africa Cup of Nations, “a player who receives two

cautions shall be automatically suspended from playing the following match.” It is this provision that rules out Ola Aina in the encounter with Guinea Bissau.

Advertisement

It was in similar vein that he was ruled out of Torino’s squad that played against Juventus in a Turin derby of the Serie A some days ago.

Advertisement

Kunle Solaja is the author of landmark books on sports and journalism as well as being a multiple award-winning journalist and editor of long standing. He is easily Nigeria’s foremost soccer diarist and Africa's most capped FIFA World Cup journalist, having attended all FIFA World Cup finals from Italia ’90 to Qatar 2022. He was honoured at the Qatar 2022 World Cup by FIFA and AIPS.

Continue Reading
Advertisement