EXCLUSIVE: Ashleigh Plumptre clears the air over her exclusion from Nigeria squad

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria defender, Ashleigh Plumptre has explained her exclusion from the country’s senior women’s national team fold following her ommision from the Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifiers doubleheader against Ethiopia this month.

The 25-year-old centreback, had been making waves with standout performances in recent matches for Nigeria, notably featured in all four games for the West Africans at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.

However, since signing for Saudi Arabian club, Al-Ittihad, the former Leicester City star had been suprisingly excluded from the two consecutive squads, having earlier been left out of the botched 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifying doubleheader against Sao Tome and Principe in September.

Plumptre was conspicuously missing from the latest roster for the second round duel of the Paris 2024 African Olympic qualifier against the East Africans, raising questions among fans and pundits alike.

Many football fans wondered why her name was not included in the list released on Sunday but the England-born Nigeria international has put her absence down to “personal circumstances”.

“I’ve had to make the decision to miss this camp for personal circumstances. I really appreciate the love and concerns. I also know the girls will do great (against Ethiopia)!,” Plumptre told NigeriaFootball.ng.

Plumptre played at England U23 level but has since become a senior Nigeria international, with 15 caps, and played against the Lionesses as they lost on penalties in the last 16 of the Women’s World Cup this summer.

Plumptre had spent three years with Leicester City, during which she helped the Foxes win promotion to the Women’s Super League for the first time in the 2020/2021 season.

Nigeria missed out on the past three editions of the Olympics in 2012, 2016, and 2020 after their previous outings in 2000, 2004, and 2008. The West Africans will hope to avoid a fourth consecutive miss despite Plumptre’s absence.