Semi Ajayi Suspended for Gabon Clash as Ideye Warns Super Eagles About ‘Osimhen Problem’

Hull City centre-back Semi Ajayi will sit out Nigeria’s 2026 FIFA World Cup playoff against Gabon after picking up a suspension in the last qualifying match.

Semi Ajayi received his second yellow card of the campaign during Tuesday’s 4-0 win over the Benin Republic.

He was booked in the 55th minute for a foul on goalkeeper Saturnin Allagbe. Ajayi had earlier been cautioned in Nigeria’s opening qualifier against Lesotho on November 16, 2023.

His absence is a setback for the Eagles’ backline, as the experienced defender has been a consistent performer throughout the qualifiers.

However, coach Eric Chelle will be boosted by the return of Ademola Lookman, who missed the Benin tie through suspension.

Nigeria will take on Gabon in Morocco on Thursday, November 13, as they continue their quest to secure a ticket to the 2026 World Cup.

Meanwhile, former Super Eagles striker Brown Ideye has sounded a warning about the team’s overreliance on Victor Osimhen for goals.

Naija News reports that Osimhen netted a hat-trick in the demolition of Benin Republic, taking his tally to 29 goals in 42 international games. That haul puts him just eight goals behind Nigeria’s all-time top scorer, the late Rashidi Yekini.

Osimhen has been the standout performer in the qualifiers, scoring six times, while other squad members such as Kelechi Iheanacho, Semi Ajayi, and Tolu Arokodare have managed only one each.

Ideye expressed concern about the lack of support up front. “If Victor Osimhen is the only striker doing numbers when it comes to scoring goals for the Super Eagles, then we have a problem if we make it to the World Cup. The other strikers need to step up their game,” the retired Nigeria international wrote on X.