By Oluwadamilola Olaleye
Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi has signed a two-year contract with Hull City after completing a free transfer from West Bromwich Albion, the Championship club confirmed on Friday.
The 31-year-old centre-back will officially join the Tigers on July 1, bringing with him a wealth of experience in English football’s second tier.
Ajayi spent six seasons at West Brom, making 177 appearances and scoring 13 goals. He played a key role in the club’s 2019/20 promotion to the Premier League, where he featured 33 times the following season.
He was also instrumental in West Brom’s run to the Championship play-offs in the 2023/24 campaign before leaving the club at the end of his contract.
In addition to his primary role in central defense, Ajayi offers versatility as a holding midfielder and has amassed over 200 Championship appearances in his career.
Ajayi’s move adds defensive depth and experience to a Hull City side aiming to push for promotion in the upcoming season.
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.
