West Brom: International media blasts Semi Ajayi after Nigeria display v Angola
West Brom defender Semi Ajayi completed the full 90 minutes for Nigeria in their African Cup of Nations quarter-final win over Angola and the national media weren’t particularly happy with his display.
A first-half goal from Ademola Lookman was enough to help the Super Eagles overcome their opponents and reach the semi-finals of the tournament.
The former England Under-21 winger emphatically converted a cut-back from Moses Simon four minutes before the break in Abidjan to secure their spot in the semis and will wait to find out who they face out of Cape Verde and South Africa who play on Saturday (3 February).
West Brom man Ajayi helped the Nigerians keep yet another clean sheet in the tournament but was widely criticised for his performance despite the progression into the semi-finals.
Nigerian news outlet Soccernet rated Ajayi as a “6.7/10” as they wrote: “The West Bromwich Albion defender put in a decent shift, although he looked shaky a few times. His aerial presence was evident as he helped the Super Eagles defenders to clear the ball away from danger in the air.”
Meanwhile, All Nigeria Soccer handed him a score of “6.5/10”, writing: “Had some shaky moments when he should have done better but still fared decently throughout the game.”
Harsh verdict on West Brom ace Ajayi
It is fair to say the Nigerian media have been pretty harsh in their criticism of the defender and he deserves a much better rating and verdict given the Super Eagles have been excellent defensively all tournament.
The Super Eagles have not conceded a single goal since the opening game of the competition against Equatorial Guinea.
Ajayi has proven every bit a part of that success and it’s that recipe that leads several teams on to become continental champions and Nigeria have a massive chance of achieving that if their defensive masterclasses continue.
He has been an ever-present in defence under the management of Peseiro, with the boss trusting his defensive line to help them in games where they may struggle going forward.
It is amazing to note that Ajayi failed to win any of his three ground duel attempts and won just one of his aerial duels (SofaScore) against Angola but none of that matters when you’re part of a solid defensive unit.
Nigeria will have set themselves the goal of winning AFCON this year, and having already beaten the favourites and hosts Ivory Coast, they will be confident of going all the way.
West Brom could have an international Cup winner on their books by the middle of the month.
In other West Brom news, Tony Brown has shared his reaction after what he saw from one Albion player in the Black Country derby.
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