Super Eagles duo Ola Aina and Taiwo Awoniyi will have to make do with Europa Conference League football next season after Nottingham Forest’s narrow 1-0 defeat to Chelsea on the final matchday of the Premier League season dashed any hopes of UEFA Champions League qualification, Footynaija.com reports.
Forest entered matchday 38 of the Premier League on 65 points, one behind Chelsea and Newcastle United who occupied the last two available Champions League spots. Three points for the Tricky Trees would’ve been enough to get the job done.
However, a tense affair at The City Ground produced minimal goal-mouth action and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill’s 50th minute strike proved sufficient to end Nottingham Forest’s dream of returning to Europe’s premier competition.
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Nigeria’s Aina was afforded 83 minutes of action by Forest boss Nuno Espirito Santo and the 28-year-old full-back was once again one of the best players on the pitch despite his side’s defeat.
Aina almost created the game’s opener after finding an unmarked Chris Wood inside the Chelsea six-yard box. However, the big New Zealand marksman fluffed his lines from just four yards out to deny Aina a wonderful assist.
On the brighter side, Awoniyi made his first appearance at The City Ground after that horror abdominal injury which left him needing to undergo surgery. While the 27-year-old striker wasn’t in the matchday squad, he walked out to greet the Forest fans just before the game.
Elsewhere, Aston Villa also missed out on a UCL spot after suffering a 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. Villa’s defeat ensured Newcastle United’s qualification despite the Magpies losing 1-0 against Everton.
