By Wale Mustapha
Nigerian international defender Semi Ajayi has confirmed his departure from West Bromwich Albion, bringing an end to a six-year stint with the English Championship club.
The Baggies announced earlier this week that Ajayi’s contract will not be renewed, with the 31-year-old set to leave the Hawthorns at the end of the season.
In an emotional message shared on his Instagram page, Ajayi expressed gratitude to the club, staff, fans, and teammates for their support during his time at West Brom.
“Thank you to everyone connected with @WBA for an incredible six years,” the Super Eagles centre-back wrote.
“To the staff, my teammates, and the fans, thank you for accepting me and embracing me in a way that truly made me feel at home. I’ll never forget the special bonds and memories we’ve built since I joined the club.”
Ajayi joined West Brom in 2019 from Rotherham United and has been a key figure in their defensive setup, contributing to their promotion to the Premier League in 2020 and subsequent campaigns in the Championship.
As he prepares to move on, Ajayi is expected to attract interest from clubs in England and abroad during the upcoming summer transfer window.
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.
