By Dayo Awoniyi
Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi, made a successful return to action for West Bromwich Albion on Saturday, playing the full 90 minutes in their 1-1 draw away at Millwall in a SkyBet Championship encounter.
Ajayi had been sidelined since October 26th with a hamstring injury, but after undergoing successful surgery, he has now returned to bolster the Baggies’ push for a promotion playoff spot.
The Nigeria international marked his first start after a three-month, 14-day absence with a solid performance, making five successful tackles and winning five duels.
Ajayi’s return is a significant boost for both West Brom and the Super Eagles, with Nigeria coach Eric Chelle set to rely on his experience in the upcoming CAF World Cup qualifiers against Rwanda and Zimbabwe in March.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
