'How are you Nigerian?' – Plumptre reveals how curious Super Falcons teammates reacted to her arrival

2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations-winning defender Ashleigh Plumptre has recalled the initial reactions of her Super Falcons teammates during her first camp with Nigeria women's national team.

The Leicester native earned over 25 caps for England's Young Lionesses and was provisionally cap-tied to her country of birth before Fifa approved her request to change association.

In July 2021, Plumptre attended an eight-day Nigeria training camp in Vosendorf, Austria as part of the national team's preparations for the Aisha Buhari Cup.

The Nigeria Football Federation were able to recruit Plumptre after it emerged she was eligible to represent the Super Falcons through her paternal grandfather, having not featured in competitive matches for European champions England.

Plumptre has opened up about her first experience with the Super Falcons, recalling how her teammates reacted with curiosity and surprise when she joined the squad in 2021, and admitting that her early days in the Austrian camp were both enlightening and challenging.

"My first camp was in 2021 and it was like a friendly camp in Austria, and I knew one girl (Ini-Abasi Umotong) who was on the team at the time, she was born in Nigeria but grew up in the UK,” Plumptre told Lagos Talks 91.3.

"She took me under her wing a little bit. Before the camp she was calling and messaging me, saying if I had any worries, she told me what to expect."

Having been forewarned about the physical nature of the Super Falcons' play, Plumptre found the advice accurate when she experienced it firsthand in her debut training session.

"I do remember one of the things she said was Nigerians pride themselves on being physically strong, so you don't want to be in your first session and somebody just bully you to the ground," she said.

"I do remember that first session because I went for a header against a player called Desire. 

"Even when I saw her, I said I don't want to get into any physical battles with her. I kind of bounced off her and didn't fall to the floor."

While her skills and presence eventually won over the squad, Plumptre admitted that some teammates were initially skeptical about her Nigerian identity.

"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.'"

With the exception of the Super Falcons' goalless draw against Algeria, Plumptre started all the matches played by Nigeria at the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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