Hull City manager Sergej Jakirović has publicly flagged the fitness risk posed by Semi Ajayi’s international commitments, with the Super Eagles defender still working his way back from an AFCON injury.
Semi Ajayi’s club manager is worried. Hull City boss Sergej Jakirović raised concerns this week about the condition in which his Nigerian centre-back will return from Super Eagles duty, noting that the travel demands and physical intensity of international fixtures are far from ideal for a player still rebuilding full match fitness.
Ajayi was included in Eric Chelle’s 23-man squad for Nigeria’s upcoming friendly matches against Iran and Jordan later this month. The call-up comes at a delicate point in the defender’s season, with Jakirović clearly monitoring his workload closely.
“We may have some problems when they return from the international games,” the Hull boss told the press. He flagged Ajayi’s Nigeria trip alongside similar concerns about goalkeeper Ivor Pandur travelling to South America with Croatia and Liam Miller’s journey to Toronto with Canada. “That could be a problem,” Jakirović added, “but we will see when they come back.”
Still Finding His Feet After AFCON Setback
The root of Jakirović’s caution goes back to the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco. Ajayi had been among Nigeria’s most reliable performers throughout the tournament before sustaining an injury late in the third-place match against Egypt. He was withdrawn in the closing minutes and replaced by Chidozie Awaziem, a substitution that effectively ended his AFCON campaign on a painful note.
The lay-off that followed kept him out for a significant stretch of the Championship season. Since returning to action at Hull, the former West Brom man has eased himself back carefully. He has started two of the club’s last three fixtures, a manageable workload, but one that signals he is not yet operating at full capacity.
A Player Hull Cannot Afford to Lose
Ajayi joined Hull City on a free transfer in the summer of 2025 after leaving West Bromwich Albion, signing a two-year deal at the MKM Stadium. At 32, he brings experience and aerial authority to a Hull backline that has leaned on his leadership throughout the season. He has made 12 Championship appearances so far, contributing one goal, and carries a strong average rating that reflects his influence when fit and available.
The timing of his international call-up creates a genuine headache for Jakirović. Long-haul travel, back-to-back competitive matches, and the mental demands of representing a nation at an important juncture are not easy to absorb for a defender still climbing back to peak form. For Nigerian football fans who remember how good Ajayi looked before that Egypt injury, though, the priority is clear: get him back in green, even if it tests his club’s patience. You can follow all the latest developments around the Super Eagles squad and Nigeria’s top betting options via FootballInNigeria.com.ng’s Bet9ja promo code page.
What Comes Next for Ajayi and the Super Eagles
Nigeria face Iran and Jordan in friendlies that serve as preparation matches under Chelle as the Super Eagles continue to build ahead of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign. For Ajayi personally, the games represent a chance to cement his status as a first-choice option in central defence, especially after missing time through injury when rivals for the shirt were collecting minutes.
Hull will be watching nervously from afar. Jakirović’s comments carry the tone of a manager who has accepted the situation but is clearly hoping the Eagles camp returns his man in one piece. With Championship survival or promotion ambitions on the line depending on Hull’s form through the final weeks of the season, the stakes of Ajayi’s fitness extend well beyond one international window.
📌 Did You Know?
- Ajayi was born in London to Nigerian parents and chose to represent the Super Eagles over England, first receiving a senior call-up in August 2018 for the 2019 AFCON qualifiers, which he described at the time as a “dream.”
- He has accumulated approximately 47 caps for Nigeria but has scored just one senior international goal across that entire career, underlining his primary role as a defensive anchor rather than an attacking threat from set pieces.
- Ajayi is one of the tallest defenders in the EFL Championship, standing at 193cm (6’4″), a physical profile that made him one of West Brom’s most reliable aerial options for six seasons before his move to Hull.
- His first professional contract came at Charlton Athletic in January 2012, where he came through the academy system. Before breaking through, he had loan spells at Dartford, AFC Wimbledon, and Crewe Alexandra across the lower leagues.
- Ajayi was part of the Arsenal squad that won the FA Community Shield in 2014/15, although he was an unused substitute throughout that campaign and never made a competitive Premier League start for the Gunners.
- His only Hull City goal this season came on 29 November 2025, in a 2-1 away win at Stoke City, making it one of the standout moments of his first season at the MKM Stadium.
- During the 2018/19 Championship season at Rotherham United, Ajayi scored 7 league goals from centre-back, an extraordinary return that made him one of the highest-scoring defenders in the second tier that campaign.
