Jablonec’s Lamin Jawo says Rangers defender Emmanuel Fernandez posed no greater test

Jablonec striker Lamin Jawo says his UEFA Conference League play-off battle with Rangers centre-back Emmanuel Fernandez was a closely contested affair, although he believes he may have won more aerial duels during the first-leg meeting.

The Gambian forward acknowledged Fernandez’s strength and quality but insisted the Rangers defender did not represent a particularly unusual challenge. Jawo said his experience of facing leading defenders in Czech football had prepared him for the contest.

“I know Fernandez is a strong and good player who has quality,” Jawo said, as quoted by The Herald.

Fernandez, who has been described as a Super Eagles defender, came up against Jawo as Rangers began their play-off tie with a 1-0 victory at Ibrox. The result gives the Scottish side a narrow advantage before the return fixture.

Jawo said the physical and individual demands of facing Fernandez were not significantly different from those he had already experienced in the Czech Republic.

“But I have played against the strongest defenders in the Czech Republic, so this was not that big of a difference for me,” he said.

The Jablonec striker also offered his assessment of the overall duel, describing the contest as evenly balanced. While he respected Fernandez’s ability, Jawo did not believe the Rangers defender had clearly dominated their exchanges.

“I think it was 50/50 with him. It was not that difficult and maybe I won more aerial duels than him,” he added.

Jawo’s comments came after Rangers took the lead in the tie with a narrow home win. The 1-0 scoreline leaves the Scottish club ahead going into the second leg, while Jablonec will have to overturn the deficit to progress.

The forward’s remarks focused on the personal contest between the two players rather than the result, with Jawo maintaining that Fernandez’s reputation and physical qualities did not make the battle substantially harder than other challenges he has faced in Czech football.

Although he recognised Fernandez as a strong and talented opponent, Jawo’s view was that neither player established a decisive advantage across the match. He felt the duel was largely level, with his assessment of the aerial exchanges providing the only area in which he suggested he may have held the upper hand.

Rangers therefore carry a one-goal advantage into the return encounter, but Jawo’s evaluation suggests he remains confident about his own performance against Fernandez. The Jablonec striker believes his previous meetings with some of the Czech Republic’s strongest defenders ensured he was well equipped for the confrontation at Ibrox.

The return fixture will determine which side advances from the UEFA Conference League play-off encounter.