Semi Ajayi breaks silence after historic Hull City goal against Man United

Semi Ajayi of Hull City. Copyright: ImagoxMattxWilkinsonx

Super Eagles defender Semi Ajayi has reflected on his historic goal for Hull City in their 2-0 Premier League victory over Manchester United, Soccernet.ng reports.

Ajayi opened the scoring at the MKM Stadium as Hull marked their return to the Premier League with a memorable victory over United.

The Nigerian defender reacted quickest in the 17th minute after Oli McBurnie’s effort was saved, putting the rebound beyond the goalkeeper to give Hull the lead.

Nobel Mendy added a second before half-time as Hull secured a famous victory that sent a strong statement on their return to the English top flight.

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For Ajayi, however, the goal carried significance beyond helping Hull claim three points.

It ended Hull City’s long wait for a Premier League goal, with their previous top-flight strike coming on May 21, 2017, when Sam Clucas scored in the club’s 7-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur.

It was also Ajayi’s first Premier League goal since January 2021, when he scored for West Bromwich Albion against Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Speaking after the game, Ajayi admitted that scoring so early in Hull’s return to the Premier League was a special moment, particularly after the team had created several opportunities before finally breaking the deadlock.

“It was amazing, it capped off a really good start that we had,” the former Arsenal defender said in an interview with TNT Sports.

“We had a couple of chances that we didn’t manage to take, but obviously that one got us in the lead and we had something to build on and I’m happy we went on to get the three points.”

The goal also created a funny moment involving McBurnie, who initially believed he had scored after his effort was saved before Ajayi followed up.

McBurnie celebrated as though he had scored before eventually joining Ajayi in celebrating when it became clear that the Nigerian had got the final touch.

Ajayi revealed that he was initially just as unsure about who had scored.

“I’m not going to lie, I thought he scored as well, so we were celebrating and he asked did you score? and I said I think so,” the Super Eagles star explained.

“But I didn’t really care if it was either of us in the moment, but I was buzzing it was ultimately my goal.”

The goal therefore became an even more memorable moment for Ajayi, who helped Hull end a remarkable Premier League drought while also giving the club an ideal start to their first top-flight campaign since 2016/17.

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

— MikeThePundit (@Mike_ThePundit) August 22, 2026

Soccer Ajayi confident Hull can compete in Premier League

Hull’s victory was made even more impressive by the quality of the opposition. Manchester United had never previously lost to a newly promoted side on the opening weekend of the Premier League, with their record standing at nine wins and three draws before the defeat at Hull.

It was also Hull’s first league victory over United since November 23, 1974, when they defeated them 2-0 in the old Second Division. More than five decades later, Ajayi and Mendy repeated that scoreline, helping Hull achieve their first-ever Premier League victory over United.

Despite the significance of the result, Ajayi insisted that Hull’s focus remains firmly on themselves rather than the attention surrounding their return to the Premier League.

“We’re not really focused on all of the outside noise, we’re only focused on what’s going on in the changing room,” the former West Brom defender said.

“We believe in ourselves and we’ll back ourselves to do our best every single game, and with performances like this, hopefully, we’ll have a very good season.”

The 32-year-old will hope Saturday’s breakthrough is the beginning of a productive season in the top flight. Up next for the Tigers is a trip to the bet365 Stadium on Tuesday when they take on Stoke City in the League Cup.

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.