Super Eagles central defender Semi Ajayi celebrated a personal milestone during Nigeria's 4-0 rout of Mozambique's Mambas in the round of 16 of the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

A former Nigeria U20 international, Ajayi, who was born in London, made a cap-tying appearance for the three-time African champions in an Afcon qualifier against Seychelles in September 2018, coming off the bench to replace Chidozie Awaziem with sixteen minutes left on the clock.

Ajayi has been a pivotal figure for the Super Eagles at the 2025 Afcon, earning the Man of the Match award in their opening clash against Tanzania, a game in which he also celebrated his first goal of the tournament.

After being rested for the dead-rubber final group match against Uganda, the 32-year-old returned to the starting XI as Nigeria secured their first clean sheet of Afcon 2025, cruising to a 4-0 victory over Mozambique. 

"That's what we've been striving towards. As a defender, we always pride ourselves on clean sheets, so the fact that we were able to get one today was really good," Ajayi told reporters in the mixed zone after the match. 

"There's still things we need to improve on, and luckily the team is improving game by game, so we're looking forward to improving again for the next one."

Speaking about his on-field understanding with Calvin Bassey, Ajayi stated: "We've played a lot of games together. We understand how each other works and we are always pushing each other to be better. We are looking to improve again for the next game."

Reflecting on the challenges of the tournament, Ajayi noted that the competition has intensified as the stakes rise. 

"Every game has got harder and harder as the stakes get higher and higher. The concentration needs to be higher, so each game progressively has been more difficult."

Ajayi was proud to reach fifty appearances for the Super Eagles, six years and four months after making his senior debut.

"Honestly, that is a dream come true. As a young kid growing up, I never imagined getting even one cap for the Super Eagles, so to reach fifty is amazing. I am just looking to get as many as I can."

Ajayi played every minute as Nigeria claimed second place at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, and the Hull City man is now aiming to lift the trophy this time around.

Ifeanyi Emmanuel