Ashleigh Plumptre, defender for Nigeria’s senior women’s national football team and Saudi club Al-Ittihad, has successfully undergone surgery on her left foot.
The procedure marks an important step in addressing the injury that has sidelined the experienced defender. Following the operation, Plumptre is set to begin a structured rehabilitation programme under the supervision of her club’s medical team in Saudi Arabia.
The coming weeks will be focused on recovery, as she works toward regaining full fitness and returning to competitive action. While no specific timeline has been confirmed, there is optimism that she will make a return as soon as she is medically cleared.
Plumptre remains a key figure for both club and country, and her absence will be felt. However, her successful surgery offers hope for a strong comeback.
Fans and well-wishers have continued to send messages of support, wishing her a smooth and speedy recovery.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. On the back of domestic engagement since 2008, he began his international career journey at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
