Hull City boss Sergej Jakirovic hails Nigeria defender Semi Ajayi’s impact in Norwich City win

Head coach of Hull City, Sergej Jakirovic, has heaped praise on Nigeria international following a standout performance against Norwich City.

Ajayi, who was introduced in the second half of the much-anticipated, delivered a strong performance as his outfit cruised to a 2-0 away win over their opponent at the Carrow Road.

The 31-year-old replaced Amir Hadziahmetovic at half-time and made a good account of himself. Joe Gelhardt broke the deadlock before Darko Gyabi scored to cement victory for Hull City.

“We survived in the first half,” he said. “They were much better than we were… I think they had seven clear chances.” He acknowledged that they “couldn’t do anything” in or out of possession.

“With Semi (Ajayi), we gained stability,” the Bosnian manager explained, noting that the former Arsenal defender’s presence countered Norwich’s dangerous attacks through the ‘pockets’ and ‘half spaces.’ “Semi gave us stability,” he reiterated.

Jakirovic called the win “a huge victory,” noting it broke a long-standing curse for the Tigers. “It’s a huge victory for us, especially after 15 years, as we broke the curse and also secured our third win since 1972.”

He stressed that his half-time message was simply to encourage his players: “I was very, very calm at half-time because you need to encourage them to be braver on the ball, to believe in themselves…”

The win extends Hull City’s excellent form, marking their fourth victory in the last five games and lifting them to 7th in the EFL Championship standings.