By Teddy Nwanunobi
Ahead of the 14th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, Leicester City-born Super Falcons defender, Ashleigh Plumptre, has alleging that her omission from the tournament squad was linked to her refusal to comply with demands she described as inappropriate from certain officials.
Daily NewsCraft reports that the defending champions, Super Falcons of Nigeria, will open their Group C encounter of the tournament, which is scheduled from July 25 to August 26, with Malawi on the opening day.
Pumptre, who has become one of the most recognisable members of the Super Falcons in recent years, made the allegation in her Facebook Page.
She insisted that her exclusion was not based purely on sporting considerations.
”I have just been excluded from the squad for the upcoming WAFCON by certain corrupt officials who demanded something from me that I could not, and would never offer. If my talent, hard work, dedication and commitment to representing my country are not enough to earn my place in the team, then perhaps it is time for me to step back.
”This hurts deeply because wearing the national colours has always been an honour I never took for granted. But I can never go against my values just to earn a call-up. Never,” she wrote.
When asked by most people in the comment section to name the officials, she simply responded, “With time.”
Her allegation has reignited longstanding debates around governance and possible interference in Nigerian football administration, with critics calling for greater transparency in team selection processes.
As at the time of filing this report, the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has not issued an official response to the claims.
With WAFCON approaching, the controversy adds an unexpected distraction to Nigeria’s preparations, with growing calls for clarification from relevant authorities to safeguard confidence in the integrity of the national team setup.