Hull City vs Manchester United – Ajayi breaks 9-year jinx after 1st-half shock

Semi Ajayi arrives at the bet365 Stadium. Copyright: ImagoxMattxWilkinson

Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi has written his name into Hull City history after scoring the club’s first Premier League goal in more than nine years, Soccernet.ng reports.

Ajayi struck for Hull City in their Premier League return this afternoon, ending an extraordinary wait that had stretched back to May 21, 2017, after which they were relegated to the EFL Championship.

The Nigerian defender’s goal came against Manchester United, giving Hull their first goal in the English top flight since the final day of the 2016/17 Premier League season.

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Soccer Semi Ajayi ends a remarkable Hull City drought

Hull City’s last Premier League goal before Ajayi’s effort came when Sam Clucas scored in a 7-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur. That result proved to be the end of Hull’s previous spell in the Premier League, with the club subsequently dropping into the Championship.

For more than nine years, Hull did not have a Premier League goal to celebrate. Ajayi has now brought that wait to an end in memorable fashion.

The centre-back scored in the 17th minute against Manchester United, reacting quickly after Oli McBurnie’s effort had been saved to put the ball into the back of the net.

🚨Semi Ajayi scores Hull City first goal of the new season vs Man Utd 🔥🇳🇬 pic.twitter.com/sWg1TeAmCl

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) August 22, 2026

It was an important moment for Hull as they returned to the Premier League, but it was also a significant personal milestone for Ajayi, who had not scored in the Premier League since his strike for West Brom against Wolves in January 2021.

Soccer What Ajayi’s goal means for Nigeria

For the Super Eagles, Ajayi’s goal is another encouraging development ahead of Nigeria’s upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifiers.

The 32-year-old remains one of the experienced defensive options available to Eric Chelle, and regular Premier League football is valuable as Nigeria prepare for another demanding period of international football.

More importantly, his goal demonstrates that Ajayi can contribute at both ends of the pitch. Hull will hope the strike is the first of many goals as they attempt to establish themselves back in the Premier League.

For Ajayi, however, this one will always be special, holding out hopes of a victory after Nobel Mendy added a second goal before half-time.

Adefolahan Guerreiro

Adefolahan is a multilingual CAF-Accredited sports journalist and football writer whose work spans outlets like Soccernet Nigeria, Pure Football UK, and Royalsportz.

With a sharp eye for detail and a background in college sports, he tells the African football story with depth, flair, and global perspective.

Fluent in English, Spanish, and German, he brings a cross-cultural voice to his coverage, blending insight with accessibility for readers around the world.
His portfolio includes interviews with top Nigerian stars like Finidi George, Junior Lokosa, Sikiru Alimi, Sodiq Ismaila, and Abraham Onahi Ogbu.

A devoted Borussia Dortmund fan, Adefolahan thrives on the emotion and rhythm of the beautiful game. Away from work, he’s a sci-fi enthusiast and series lover who enjoys exploring how sport, storytelling, and culture collide.