Aina in battle of three Super Eagles stars as Porto draw Forest in Europa League QF

There is something special about seeing teammates become rivals, and that is exactly what fans will get when FC Porto take on Nottingham Forest in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, Afrik-Foot reports.

This tie is not just about two strong teams. It is also about three Nigerian stars: Ola Aina, Terem Moffi, and Zaidu Sanusi, who will now face each other for a place in the semi-finals.

Forest defender Aina will line up against Porto’s attacking threat Moffi and the energetic full-back Sanusi. All three are regular members of Nigeria’s Super Eagles squad, which makes this contest even more exciting for fans back home.

Interestingly, Forest already have good memories of playing Porto this season. During the league phase in October, the English side beat the Portuguese club thanks to goals from Morgan Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus. That result will give them confidence, but knockout football is always different.

The first leg will be played in Portugal, while the second leg will take place at Forest’s home ground, setting up a tense two-legged battle where every moment could matter.

Aina and Moffi shine as Forest and Porto survive tough tests

Both teams had to work very hard to reach this stage, and their Nigerian stars played important roles along the way.

Aina once again showed why he is such a trusted player for Forest. Although he started on the bench against FC Midtjylland in the Round of 16, he made a big impact after coming on in the second half.

He almost scored with a powerful effort that just went over the bar after a neat pass from Gibbs-White. Later, he thought he had created a winning goal in extra time when he set up Lorenzo Lucca, but the effort was ruled out for offside.

Still, Aina’s energy helped Forest stay strong. After the tie ended 2-2 on aggregate, the Premier League side held their nerve to win 3-0 in a penalty shootout and book their place in the quarter-finals.

At Porto, Moffi’s story has been about patience and hard work. The striker, on loan from OGC Nice, has been working his way back to full fitness after a spell out on the sidelines. His progress was clear in the Round of 16 against VfB Stuttgart.

Moffi scored in the first leg in Germany, helping Porto to a 2-1 win. Then, in the second leg, he completed 90 minutes for the first time in a long while as Porto won 2-0 to seal a comfortable 4-1 aggregate victory.

Sanusi also played his part, offering balance and strength from defence as Porto controlled the tie.

Now, both teams are ready for the next challenge.

In other quarterfinal fixtures, Bologna will trade tackles with Aston Villa, Celta Vigo and Freiburg will face off while Real Betis lock horns with Braga.