Al-Ittihad of Saudi Arabia female team defender, Ashleigh Plumptre has admitted that she and other players in the Nigerian national team, Super Falcons will have to play better in their next match at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
Sports247 reports that, though the Falcons won their first match at the 2024 WAFCON with a huge 3-0 margin against Tunisia in Casablanca on Sunday, Coach Justin Madugu’s side looked rusty and uncoordinated for large parts of the game.
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However, Plumptre, who last played for Leicester City Ladies of England, after spending a year with LA Galaxy of USA, blamed the Falcons’ shaky show on anxiety and excitement heading into their first match of the competition.
Plumptre, a Caucasian left-wing-back, who qualified to play for the Falcons because her paternal grandfather was born in Nigeria, affirmed that the nine-time African champs will have to step up in all their subsequent matches of the championship in order for them to continue winning.
Plumptre added, “It obviously was our first game in the tournament. So, we had a lot of nerves and excitement in us.
“But, to come out with three goals and a clean sheet is a nice way to start the tournament. So, we’ll take this as a good stepping stone into the next game.”
She concluded by chipping in a hint about what the team’s plans and approach will be ahead of their second group match, with a view towards improvements in all areas, as they get ready to tango Botswana on Thursday.
“Obviously, we have to check what we did. So, we’ll check what we did well and what we need to improve on going into the next game.
“I think, attacking wise and defensively, we probably could have been a lot better … in terms of our standards. But, we’re happy with the three points,” Plumptre concluded.
