Super Eagles full-back Ola Aina and his Nottingham Forest side will participate in the league phase of the 2025-26 season Europa League with notable home and away fixtures against Portuguese giants FC Porto and La Liga side Real Betis, Afrosport reports.
Forest are back in a European competition for the first time in 30 years after finishing seventh in the Premier League last season. They were initially meant to play in the UEFA Conference League but were promoted to the Europa League after Crystal Palace were demoted to the Conference League for breaching UEFA’s multi-club ownership rules.
The East Midlands outfit will also face Ferencvaros (home), Braga (away), Midtjylland (home), Sturm Graz (away), Malmo (home), and Utrecht (away).
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 1 teams 🏡✈️#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/A90RUzjMaJ
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 29, 2025
Meanwhile, another Super Eagles player, Cyriel Dessers will be in the action as his team Rangers get to play Roma (home), Porto (away), Braga (home), Ferencvaros (away), Ludogorets (home), Sturm Graz (away), Genk (home) and Brann (away) while Terem Moffi’s OGC Nice will face Roma (home), Porto (away), Braga (home), Fenerbahce (away), Freiburg (home), Ludogorets (away), Go Ahead Eagles (home) and Celta Vigo (away).
Tolu Arokodare and his Genk team will be in action against Real Betis (home), Ferencvaros (home), Braga (away), Basel (home), Midtjylland (away), Malmo (home) and Utrecht (away).
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 2 teams 🏡✈️#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/F4b3rFyxCj
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 29, 2025
Nigerian left-back Zaidu Sanusi will be in action with his FC Porto team against Red Bull Salzburg (away), Red Star Belgrade (home), Viktoria Plzen (away), Malmo (home) and Utrecht (away).
Rafiu Durosinmi and his Viktoria Plzen side will face Roma (away), Fenerbahce (home), Ferencvaros (away), Freiburg (home), Basel (away), Malmo (home), and Panathinaikos (away).
✅ Home and away opponents for Pot 3 teams 🏡✈️#UELdraw pic.twitter.com/NZlsjAATsO
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) August 29, 2025
The league phase of the Europa League will commence on September 25 and January 29, 2026.
