Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has stated that the goal for the Super Falcons is to qualify for the 2024 Summer Olympics games to be held in Paris in July.
The 25-year-old made this known after the Super Falcons' 0-0 stalemate with the Indomitable Lionesses of Cameroon in a 2024 Olympics qualifier in Douala on Friday.
The Super Falcons have made three appearances at the Olympics, with 2000 marking their maiden appearance and 2008 as their last. Their best run was a quarter-final finish in the 2004 edition.
If the Super Falcons manage to overcome their neighbours, their next challenge on the path to the Olympics will likely be South Africa's Bayana Bayana, who secured a 3-0 victory away in Tanzania in the first leg.
What did Plumptre say after the Super Falcons game?
The Al-Ittihad defender shared her perspective with a resolute tone.
“We're taking it game by game, obviously the goal is to qualify for the Olympics. We haven't been at the Olympics for, I don't know how long,” she remarked.
“We don't look past the games we have now. There are more qualifying games coming up, but the focus is now Cameroon.
“We respect them, especially after they put a performance out like they did today. Getting the draw today is one that we're not going to drop our heads about.”
Plumptre concluded by emphasising their continuous striving for success.
“We come out here to try and win all the time, but we move on to the next game and hopefully come out with a win, so we can move on to the next round, but ultimately it's just game by game,” she concluded.
Ashleigh Plumptre's international career
Plumptre has a diverse international career, having represented England across various age groups, including under-15, under-17, under-19, and under-23 levels.
Notably, she participated in the 2014 and 2015 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship, where she primarily played as a forward or attacking midfielder, showcasing her prowess by scoring twice in a match against Moldova.
In 2016, at just 17 years old, she earned a spot on the under-23 team for the 2016 La Manga Tournament. Plumptre amassed a total of 30 appearances and 10 goals at the youth level.
Her interest in playing for Nigeria's senior team surfaced in June 2021, and she received her first call-up for a training camp in Austria the following month, eligible to represent Nigeria through her paternal grandfather's Yoruba heritage from Lagos.
Plumptre's unofficial debut came in July 2021, followed by her official clearance by FIFA in late December 2021 to represent Nigeria.
She made her official debut in February 2022, contributing to Nigeria's victory over Ivory Coast in the 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations qualification.
Plumptre's journey continued as she earned a spot in Nigeria's squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she started all four matches and played a key role in the team's defensive efforts, helping secure three clean sheets until their elimination in the round of 16 by England on penalties following a goalless draw.
She has made 15 appearances for Nigeria but has yet to score.
