Leicester City defender Ashleigh Plumptre says she gained a lot from representing Nigeria at the last African Women’s Championship in Morocco.
Plumptre, a former England youth international attended her first senior tournament with the West African Country in 2022, months after switching allegiance to the West African nations.
The 25-year-old in an interview with LCTV said playing at the tournament was a dream come true for her and the entire family.
“It was the longest time I’ve been away for international duty as a professional. And I enjoyed the experience of playing in that tournament (WAFCON).
“We went down to nine players in the game (versus Morocco), had to hold off for the extra 30 minutes before the shootout.”
Plumptre also praised the hosts, Morocco for organizing a memorable tournament.
“Morocco did a huge job in organising the tournament, and even when we played them in the semi-finals, it was a competitive experience, although we lost on penalties.
“But I think it was one of the loudest stadiums I’ve been in, about 45 thousand fans cheering the team on.
The Falcons next will compete at the FIFA World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The team will confront hosts Australia, Canada, and Republic of Ireland in the Group phase.
“We’ve looked to play big teams this year in preparation for the World Cup, like Canada, US and Japan, and we’ve competed with all of them.”
Plumptre is a strong member of Randy Waldrum’s Super Falcons, barring any injury, she’ll certainly be on the plane for the Women’s World Cup slated for July 20 in Australia and New Zealand.
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