Nigeria's senior men's national team media officer Promise Efoghe has explained why Nottingham Forest defender Ola Aina was left out of Nigeria’s starting lineup for Tuesday’s 3-0 defeat to Guinea-Bissau in the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier.

 Aina, who returned to the Super Eagles squad this month, remained an unused substitute as Bright Osayi-Samuel started at right-back against the Djurtus.

 Osayi-Samuel endured a challenging outing, with Guinea-Bissau captain Mama Baldé repeatedly using his pace and skill to trouble the Nigerian defence.

 Speaking after the match, Efoghe revealed that Aina’s omission was linked to a fitness concern, while also raising concerns about the poor condition of the Stade du 24 Septembre pitch.

 According to Efoghe, the decision was influenced by Aina’s previous injury experience on a similarly poor surface at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein, where the defender suffered an injury that kept him sidelined for several months.

 “They are very similar. You wonder why Ola Aina could not play the game yesterday, it is a physiological thing,” Efoghe told News Central TV.

 “Remember, it was on a bad pitch against South Africa that Ola Aina picked up an injury that took him out of football for almost one year.”

 Efoghe also called for improvements to playing conditions across Africa, urging football stakeholders to address the quality of pitches on the continent.

 “We should stop all these dark arts in African football. If we want the game to progress on the continent, we should do things right,” he added.

 Aina previously sustained the injury during the first half of Nigeria’s crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying clash against South Africa.

 Following their disappointing result against Guinea-Bissau, the Super Eagles will turn their attention to their next assignment when they face Russia in an international friendly on October 6.