England-born Super Falcons defender, Ashleigh Plumptre, shared her experience of how her national teammates were skeptical about her Nigerian heritage.
She mentioned that this was the initial response from the Nigerian women during her first training camp with the national team.
Plumptre hails from Leicester and has played more than 25 matches for England’s Young Lionesses, having been provisionally cap-tied to the European nation before she sought a change of nationality.
FIFA granted her request to switch associations, allowing her to pledge her allegiance to the multiple African champions.
She joined the Super Falcons in July 2021, participating in an eight-day training camp in Vosendorf, Austria, as the team geared up for the Aisha Buhari Cup.
Plumptre qualified to represent Nigeria through her paternal grandfather and had not played any competitive matches for the England national team.
“My first camp was in 2021, and it felt like a friendly gathering in Austria…” Plumptre shared with Lagos Talks 91.3.
“At first, everyone was unsure of what to expect from me. I think for them, it was something unusual. They were definitely curious, asking, ‘So, how are you Nigerian?’
“Usually, when I get that question, I just show them a picture of my dad, and they respond with, ‘Oh, okay.'”
The star, who plays in the Saudi Pro League, participated in all of Nigeria’s matches during the recently concluded Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, except for the final group match, which ended in a goalless draw against Algeria.