England-born Super Falcons full-back, Ashleigh Plumptre, has narrated how her national teammates doubted her being a Nigerian.
She said this was the initial reaction of the Nigerian ladies during her first camp with the Nigeria women’s national team.
Plumptre was born in Leicester and played over 25 games for the Young Lionesses of England, provisionally cap-tied to the European country before applying for a change of nationality and FIFA approved her request to change association and she switched allegiance to the multiple African champions.
She joined up with the Super Falcons in July 2021, in an eight-day training camp in Vosendorf, Austria, as the team prepared for the Aisha Buhari Cup.
Plumptre was eligible to play for Nigeria through her paternal grandfather and having not represented the Three Lionesses of England in competitive matches.
“My first camp was in 2021 and it was like a friendly camp in Austria…” Plumptre told Lagos Talks 91.3.
“Everybody didn’t really know what to expect from me at first. I think for them it was a rarity. They were obviously questioning like, ‘So, how are you Nigerian?’
“Normally when I get that question, I just show them a picture of my dad, and they’re like, ‘Oh, okay.’”
The Saudi Pro League-based star played all Nigerian matches in the recently concluded Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, in Morocco, except the final group game, a goalless draw against Algeria.
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