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Ola Aina defended his performance in the AFCON final, revealing he played through injury, dismissed criticism of the coach, and insisted he wasn't outplayed.
Nigerians have accused Super Eagles defender Ola Aina of sacrificing Nigeria's chances of winning the AFCON 2023 final after he defended his performance following a decision to play against Cote d'Ivoire through injury.
Nigerian star Aina responded to criticism of his disastrous performance in the Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON 2023, final between the Super Eagles and Côte d'Ivoire.
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Pulse Sports reported that Aina revealed how he played through injury in the match, which Nigeria lost 2-1 to the host nation earlier this year.
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The former Chelsea player acknowledged the strong performance of Ivorian winger Simon Adingra, who created both goals for Côte d'Ivoire but refuted claims that he was outplayed by the Brighton and Hove Albion star.
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Speaking in a video on Instagram, the Nottingham Forest man praised Adingra for his outstanding display in the match but was quick to defend himself following heavy criticism after the defeat.
“Let me set this record straight, whatever, give it to my man that done his thing and that - assist, goal, whatever. Yeah, he (Simon Adingra) is a baller, give it to him,” Aina stated.
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"[But] Man [I] was playing on one leg, You think I am missing the AFCON final?" emphasising his determination to participate in the final despite his physical condition.
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The Super Eagles defender who believes Nigeria has the team to conquer the world then went on to defend former Nigerian coach, Jose Pereiro, against criticism, explaining that the decision to play was his own.
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He revealed that he insisted on taking part in the match due to the significance of the AFCON final and uncertainty about future opportunities at this level.
“I see people cussing the coach (Jose Pereiro), it wasn’t the coach’s fault bro. He asked me ‘Do you think you can play?’ Of course, I told him I could play. What do you think this is? AFCON final, I don’t know if I am ever going to make it there again. I need(ed) to play.”
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The defender maintained that he did not "get cooked" during the game, suggesting he wasn't completely outclassed by his opponent as those who watched the game said, but admitted that he failed in his decision to manage the injury.
“I tried to manage and I didn’t manage,” he added. “So, allow it. I didn’t get cooked, if I got cooked, I’ll tell you I got cooked. I didn’t get cooked.”
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Despite Aina's comments shedding light on the challenges faced by players in high-stakes matches and the personal sacrifices he tried to make, supporters believe he was outplayed and outclassed in the infamous game.
"Adingra actually Cooked him," one of the fans said. "Guy them cook u abeg," another fan posted. "So you sacrificed your team's chance to win for personal gratification.....nice man. Just say you got cooked it would be better," another added.
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