Emmanuel Fernandez has taken an important step towards putting his difficult start to the season behind him, but he may still have work to do before convincing Super Eagles head coach Eric Chelle that he deserves a place in Nigeria’s September squad.

Fernandez was part of the Rangers side that recorded a 1-0 victory over Motherwell on Saturday, securing a second consecutive clean sheet in the Scottish Premiership.

The result also extended Rangers’ winning run to three league matches as Derek McInnes’ side continued to recover from their unconvincing start to the campaign.

The clean sheet was particularly significant for Fernandez. After enduring weeks of criticism, the Nigerian helped Rangers keep Motherwell at bay.

Fernandez has also spoken positively about his defensive pairing with Olwethu Makhanya, insisting that the partnership is improving and pointing to the consecutive clean sheets as evidence of their progress.

“We are growing as a partnership; we are keeping clean sheets, but there is more to come,” Fernandez told Rangers TV after the victory.

That is undoubtedly encouraging for a defender who was one of Rangers’ standout performers last season, winning the club’s Player of the Season award and earning a place in the Scottish PFA Team of the Season.

However, one good performance cannot completely erase what has happened since the beginning of the new campaign.

Why Emmanuel Fernandez could still miss out under Chelle

Fernandez’s problems this season have been more than one isolated poor performance.

He opened the league campaign impressively against Dundee United, winning 93% of his aerial duels and making nine headed clearances. But his level dropped sharply afterwards, beginning with Rangers’ 2-1 defeat to Jagiellonia Białystok in the Europa League qualifiers.

Fernandez scored an own goal in that match before being involved in another defensive mistake that allowed Jagiellonia to complete their comeback. The criticism subsequently intensified.

Former Clyde and Dundee United manager Ian McCall questioned Fernandez’s defensive performance and argued that Rangers should consider selling him if a significant offer arrived.

Peter Lovenkrands later described the Nigerian as “vulnerable” after his performance against St Mirren, highlighting his sloppy play, booking and penalty concession.

Even McInnes, who has continued to trust Fernandez, acknowledged that the defender needed to rediscover his best level, calling for greater focus and concentration.

That criticism was followed by another difficult performance against Jablonec and, more recently, the 2-1 win over Falkirk, where Fernandez was criticised for his involvement in the build-up to Falkirk’s equaliser and another second-half error. Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd was among those to question his display.

For coach Eric Chelle, the question is not whether Fernandez remains talented enough to play for Nigeria. His first international appearances already demonstrated that he can operate at this level.

The bigger question is whether the Rangers defender has regained the consistency that made him an obvious selection last season.

Chelle has reasons to demand consistency

Fernandez’s emergence was one of the positives of Nigeria’s March International break after their FIFA World Cup absence was confirmed.

The defender received his maiden call-up in March before making his debut in Nigeria’s 2-1 victory over Iran.

He then started against Jordan and scored in the 2-2 draw, immediately establishing himself as another option for a Nigerian defence that was searching for a new generation of centre-backs, but the competition has not disappeared.

Calvin Bassey remains an important option, while Igoh Ogbu and Chibuike Nwaiwu have also featured in Chelle’s plans.

Semi Ajayi’s fitness situation is another factor after the experienced defender suffered a hamstring problem, although his availability for the September window remains uncertain.

That could ultimately work in Fernandez’s favour. Yet, it also means Chelle does not necessarily have to select a defender simply because he was impressive several months ago.

The Super Eagles are preparing for their opening 2027 Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau, and the coach will need players who are performing consistently for their clubs.

Fernandez now has an opportunity to change the conversation. The Motherwell clean sheet is a positive starting point, particularly because it came after weeks of scrutiny