Torino of Italy defender, Ola Aina has been touted as a sure bet for a spot in the latest Super Eagles’ list to be released this week by the technical adviser, Gernot Rohr.
Aina, who got his Serie A debut with Torino last weekend, appears top of the pile due to injuries to Rohr’s only other two options at right back, as Tyronne Ebuehi and Shehu Abdullahi are both out next month’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Seychelles.
On the other hand, Aina, who is on loan from Chelsea, got top marks on his debut with Torino at the start of the new Serie A season last weekend.
Aina played his first ever game for his new club, Torino, as they suffered a last minute 1-0 loss to Roma at Stadio Olimpico Grande in their opener on Sunday.
The 21-year-old versatile defender started on the bench for Walter Mazzarri side but after an injury to Lorenzo De Silvestri in the 25th minutes, Aina who spent the 2017-18 season on loan at Championships side Hull City came in for his debut.
On his introduction, Aina slotted into the right wing back position where injured Lorenzo De Silvestri had vacated.
Aina gave a good account of himself all through the game but his debut didn’t end as planned as Edin Dzeko’s 89th minutes strike ruined his day.
Justin Kluivert the son of the legendary striker Patrick Kluivert produced a great pass that found Edin Dzeko inside Torino’s penalty area, and the former City striker rifled a shot into the right side of the goal.
Aina would have recorded an assist on his debut but Iago Falque’s strike was ruled out by VAR for offside on the former England youth international.
The Chelsea loanee came up against El Shaarawy (and Kolarov) on his side of the pitch and gave an excellent display on the night.
Torino director of sport, Gianluca Petrachi faulted disallowed goal in the second half of his team’s 1-0 loss to AS Roma in the Serie A on Sunday, insisting that the goal scored by Iago Falque off a brilliant assist from Aina should have stood.
”I am disappointed to once again state that in the first round of last season, VAR disallowed a perfectly valid goal against Bologna and today the VAR was not used equally.
”The referee opted to check the millimetres of Ola Aina’s foot to disallow our goal for offside, yet didn’t even bother to check it again when we should’ve had a penalty.
”So whatever people may say, in my view, this game was falsified by the referee and I say that with great bitterness,’ Petrachi said.
