Alex Iwobi has praised Bright Osayi-Samuel and Ryan Alebiosu for stepping up for the Super Eagles in the absence of Ola Aina at the 2025 AFCON tournament, SportPremi reports.
Aina was Nigeria’s first-choice right-back during the 2023 African Cup of Nations tournament and the defender earned a place in the team of the tournament after his impressive showings for the Super Eagles.
However, he suffered a knee injury in a World Cup qualifying match against South Africa in September 2025 which ruled him out of action for a long while.
The former Chelsea defender returned to training ahead of the ongoing tournament in Morocco and despite his inclusion in the initial preliminary squad by Eric Chelle, he was omitted from the final 28-man list due to fitness concerns.
However, he has been rarely missed by the Super Eagles, as Osayi-Samuel and Alebiosu have stepped up greatly in his absence.
The former has started four of Nigeria’s five matches and delivered a superb performance in the quarterfinal victory over Algeria, while the latter played in the group finale against Uganda and was very composed in the position.
The three-time AFCON winners face Morocco in their semifinal clash later tomorrow, with Osayi-Samuel expected to retain his spot on the right side of the Nigerian defence.
Iwobi rues Aina’s absence, hails Osayi and Alebiosu strong showings
Speaking in an interview, Alex Iwobi expressed disappointment over Ola Aina’s absence from the tournament, but praised his teammates for rising to the occasion and delivering strong performances.
“And in terms of Ola Aina, Ola is a big miss. He’s a big character on and off the pitch, and we know how much quality he has. But at the same time, our right-backs, Bright and Ryan, have done so well, so it’s almost like we haven’t missed him so much”, Iwobi stated.
“Of course, Ola is a very good player, but at the same time, so is Bright, so is Ryan. We have quality right-backs and quality defenders, so that’s the great thing about Nigeria. Even though one player is missing, we’ve got quality players in many different positions.
“Ola Aina is like one of my best friends in football. I do miss him as well. He has been messaging me and staying in touch. The main thing now is that he’s back fit and playing for his club. He’s also messaging us, saying he hopes we do well, so of course he’s missed, but he’s still with us in spirit”, the Fulham midfielder added.
On how his performance levels have improved at the tournament
“I don’t really look online to see what’s happening. I let my team handle that, but I’ve been getting responses and comments from my close ones — my friends, my family, my staff — that I’ve been doing really well.
“I just give the same application, but it’s nice that I’m getting recognition for how I am doing. I just focus on the team and trying to win”, Iwobi stated.
“Of course, my whole career I’ve been told to play in different roles, different positions, but one thing about me is I’ll always do my best no matter what.”
Iwobi will be eyeing another masterclass in midfield when Nigeria face Morocco in Rabat on Wednesday night.
