Emmanuel Fernandez: Super Eagles defender under scrutiny in Rangers 5-1 win over St Mirren

Super Eagles defender Emmanuel Fernandez has come under scrutiny after a poor display in Rangers’ 5-1 Scottish League Cup victory over St Mirren at Ibrox on Sunday, Soccernet.ng reports.

Fernandez started at the heart of the Rangers defence as Derek McInnes’ side finally secured their first competitive win of the season in emphatic fashion.

The victory sent Rangers into the quarter-finals of the competition and provided some much-needed relief after a difficult opening to McInnes’ reign, with the Ibrox side having struggled for consistency in their opening fixtures.

However, while Rangers impressed going forward, Fernandez endured an afternoon to forget as St Mirren tested the Nigerian defender several times.

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The 25-year-old was booked in the first half before conceding a penalty after the interval, although Rangers goalkeeper Ivor Pandur came to his rescue by saving Killian Phillips’ retaken spot-kick.

Killian Phillips (St Mirren) scored his initial penalty, but referee John Beaton ordered a re-take because the ball was struck before the whistle had blown. Phillips stepped up again, but goalkeeper Ivor Pandur (Rangers) guessed correctly and saved the spot-kick.

Lovenkrands highlights Emmanuel Fernandez’s error

Former Rangers striker Peter Lovenkrands acknowledged the positive performance produced by McInnes’ team but singled out Fernandez when assessing the defensive display.

Speaking on BBC Sportsound after the match, Lovenkrands pointed to the Nigerian’s mistakes and the two major incidents that shaped his afternoon.

“There's been a lot of good performances for Rangers, although Fernandez has looked vulnerable, with some sloppy play, the booking, the penalty.”

The criticism adds to the growing scrutiny around Fernandez following a difficult start to the campaign.

The Super Eagles defender was also criticised after Rangers’ recent 2-1 defeat to Jagiellonia Białystok in the Europa League qualifiers, while former Rangers midfielder Andy Halliday previously questioned aspects of his positioning and defensive decision-making.

Rangers win eases pressure on McInnes

Despite Fernandez’s struggles, Rangers produced the kind of attacking performance McInnes will hope can provide a platform for the rest of the season.

Ryan Naderi opened the scoring before Vanja Dragojevic doubled the advantage, although Christopher Mochrie pulled one back for St Mirren before half-time.

Rangers responded after the break, with Djeidi Gassama, James Penrice and Ross McCausland all finding the net to complete a convincing victory.

The result was particularly important for McInnes after Rangers endured a winless start to his competitive tenure.

The manager will now hope the victory can provide momentum ahead of Rangers’ upcoming fixtures, but Fernandez’s performance leaves another question for the former Kilmarnock boss to consider.

With Ben Godfrey currently unavailable and Olwethu Makhanya still working his way into the team, Fernandez remains an important option in central defence.

However, with the Nigerian already getting criticism for several errors this season, the pressure will be on him to respond quickly and produce the consistency that earned him the Player of the Year award at Ibrox last season.

For the Super Eagles, that will also be worth watching closely as Nigeria prepare for their upcoming AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign.