Super Falcons interim head coach Justin Madugu has explained the reason for Ashleigh Plumptre’s absence from the team.
The centre-back has not been invited by Madugu since representing Nigeria at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the summer.
Plumptre was one of the top performers for the Super Falcons at the competition co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
“Ashleigh (Plumptre) has been having a lot of injuries. She has been carrying some knocks and she has not fully recovered, that’s just the truth about it,” Madugu told a press conference in Abuja.
“She needed some rest, the break from the national team engagements so that she can recover fully. But she’s still part of the team.
“When she’s fully recovered, certainly we know what Ashleigh can bring to bear. She will be part of the team going forward”
The 25-year-old has made 15 appearances for the Super Falcons.
The Super Falcons will take on Cape Verde in a 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier at the Moshood Abiola Stadium, Abuja on Thursday (today).
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COMMENTS
Plumptre begged to be excused to let her body heal. Playing once a week at club level is different from playing for bith club and country. Looking forward to seeing her back in the squad soon.
No be the same club and country she dey play for when she dey Leicester?
As a Leicester player, her schedule was similar with her current schedule. Yet, she NEVER missed international games then. Always among the first to arrive in camp for international matches.
SO WHAT CHANGED?
Some would argue that she was doing that to secure her dream of playing at the world cup. I don’t buy that.
In my opinion, she’s excusing herself from internationals for one or both of the following reasons:
1) She does in fact have injury issues, and needs time to recover.
2) The main reason – NFF’s embarrassing shenanigans.
NFF PUBLICLY haggling with players over bonuses at the last world cup must have embarrassed the heck out of Plumptre. This is someone who left England to play for Nigeria. With NFF’s disgraceful behaviour, it is possible that Plumptre’s critics are now mocking her for her decision.
Mocking her for swapping sanity with England for chaos and confusion with NFF ONIGBESE.
Although she got her world cup bonus, thanks to FIFA stepping in and paying Nigeria players directly, she’s still being owed a significant amount of bonuses from other matches.
I suspect she’s not happy. Her morale is down, and she’s now not as eager to honour the national call as she once was.
Let’s hope she gets over this phase and resumes her international football soonest.
She loves playing for Nigeria, that’s obvious.
I suspect that NFF turning over a new leaf and doing their jobs right will get Plumptre back in the groove a lot quicker.
Australia tax authorities took over 15000 dollars from the salaries of every team that played world cup in Australia. NFF kept their word this time. I think she needs healing in her body more than being excused for glass house shenanigans
The coach explained her being left out of the team for now. As a sportsman or woman coping with injury to please your team or country is counterproductive as she won’t be able to give her best. I know something is not too well with her that recently, I know she took some knocks that she is yet to recover fully from. Deciding to play for Nigeria means she means business and she has been doing that thereafter. So let’s not castigate her for now.
Ashleigh explained in an interview that her body needed to rest and that for a couple of years before the WWC, she had been playing with a knock for both Club and Country.
But for a Naija man, that explanation is not enough. Something else must be the cause. This is even after she stated she looks forward to being a part of the Olympics?
Na wah!
Australia tax authorities took over 15000 dollars from the salaries of every team that played world cup in Australia. NFF kept their word this time. I think she needs healing in her body more than being excused for glass house shenanigans