Ashleigh Plumptre, 23 year-old Leicester city player made her debut for Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Friday, along with Ifeoma Onumonu.
The two players gave a good account of themselves as the Falcons beat the Lady Elephants of Ivory Coast 2-0.
Debutant Onumonu banged in the two goals and Plumptre was rock-solid in defence. She bagged the assist in Onumonu’s second goal.
Plumptre was trending on Nigerian Twitter on Saturday as people wanted to know more about the beautiful player.
Well, she is British-Nigerian, daughter of a Nigerian Dad and a British mom.
In an interview with NFF TV, she speaks proudly about her Nigerian heritage.
Match Report:
Nigeria’s Super Falcons on Friday defeated the Lady Elephants of Cote D’Ivoire 2-0, with debutant Ifeoma Onumonu scoring twice to give her team a good head start in the pairing.
The win was in the first leg match of their final round fixture in the 2022 Africa Women’s Cup of Nations (AWCON) qualifiers.
In the match played at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium in Abuja, Nigeria’s persistence saw them opening scoring in the 21st minute.
Ashleigh Plumptre in Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Leicester colours
That was when Esther Okoronkwo set up Onumonu inside the penalty box to fire the Super Falcons in front from close range.
Seven minutes later, Falcons goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie was put to the test when Zote Nina sent a shot towards goal but she was quick to save it.
The Ivorians began to pile huge pressure from the commencement of the second half, in a bid to get an equaliser but the Falcons stood determined to extend the lead.
Team head coach Randy Waldrum sent in striker Uchenna Kanu for midfielder Amanda Mbadinuji in the 55th minute to bolster their play.
A minute later, the U.S-based Onumonu, who was making her debut national team appearance, latched on to another debutant’s floated pass.
Ashleigh Plumtree repulsed an Ivorian attack to float the ball from the left side to the right, and Onumonu only needed to lob over Ivorian goalkeeper Cynthia Djohore.
Falcons tried to register a more resounding victory with striker Gift Monday coming in for Okoronkwo in the 84th minute but Cote D’Ivoire put up a solid defence.
The visitors looked to score a consolation goal thereafter, but France-based Nnadozie made impressive saves just as defender Plumtree ensured the hosts maintained a clean sheet.
After the match, coach Waldrum said he was happy with the team’s performance.
“I thought that we had a good control of the game, so I am really proud of the players.
“We have Nnadozie, making a huge save at the end, keeping a clean sheet and we all know that it’s very important.
“We are also proud of this lady (Onumonu). This is her first opportunity to come to Nigeria and represent her country and she scored a brace.
“Ashleigh also gave a good account of herself and it was really a solid performance,” Waldrum said.
The coach also added that he was positive ahead of the return leg in Abidjan on Wednesday.
For Onumonu, she was excited to be making her debut, adding that she had always desired to play for the country.
“It’s an honour to play for this team, I have been watching them for years and I dreamt about playing for the Super Falcons and am excited to have scored a brace.
“I really just want to make impact in this team,” Onumonu added.
Winners of the fixture will qualify for the 2022 AWCON in Morocco in June.
Manchester United have appointed Ruben Amorim, Portuguese coach, as the club’s new manager.
The Red Devils announced Amorim’s arrival in a statement on the club’s website on Friday.
The manager joined United from Sporting Lisbon and penned a three-year deal to manage the club with an option of an additional year.
However, the Portuguese coach is not expected to join United immediately due to work visa requirements. He is billed to resume at Old Trafford on November 11.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue as United’s interim manager until Amorim’s arrival.
United sacked Erik Ten Hag as the club’s manager on October 28 following a 2-1 loss to West Ham.
The defeat was the United’s fourth in the English Premier League (EPL) this season, and they slipped to 14th place on the log.
The team also remain winless in the Europa League with three draws from as many games. They are rooted in the 21st position of 36 teams in the Europa League log.
Amorim is saddled with the responsibility of rejigging and correcting the wrongs in the team that made Ten Hag’s tenure unimpressive.
The 39-year-old is considered one of Europe’s most promising managers. He won the Primeira Liga twice in Portugal with Sporting Lisbon — the first of which was the club’s first title in 19 years.
Ademola Lookman, Super Eagles winger, has been named the 14th best male footballer in the world.
The 27-year-old was named among the 15 best players in the world on Monday at the Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Théâtre du Chatelet in Paris, France.
The winger is the only African to make the 30-player shortlist for the 2024 Ballon d’Or prize. He is the second Nigerian to be nominated for the prize in two years.
In 2023, Victor Osimhen became the first Nigerian to break into the top 10 of the award — finishing eighth overall.
Before that, Kanu Nwankwo was the last Super Eagles player to crack the top 15 of the coveted individual prize, ranking 11th in 1996.
Lookman placed ahead of Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba on the 2024 Ballon d’Or ranking.
The winger scored 17 goals and provided 11 assists in all competitions last season for Atalanta, which retained its status as one of the best in Serie A.
He scored a hattrick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, winning Atalanta’s first-ever European title.
Lookman was one of Nigeria’s best players at the African Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Cote d’Ivoire. He scored three goals as the Eagles won silver at the tournament. He was also named in the competition’s best XI alongside captain Willian Troost-Ekong.
Manchester United have fired Erik ten Hag as the club’s head coach following an uninspiring tenure at the helm of affairs.
In a statement on the club’s website, United said Ruud van Nistelrooy will take over as the team’s interim manager.
Ten Hag’s dismissal comes just a day after a 2-1 defeat at West Ham United on Sunday. The loss was the United’s fourth in the English Premier League (EPL) this season, and they slipped to 14th place on the log.
The team also remain winless in the Europa League with three draws from as many games. They are rooted in the 21st position of 36 teams in the Europa League log.
Ten Hag was appointed as United manager in April 2022. He replaced Ralf Rangnick, who had been working at United in an interim capacity after the club sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November 2021.
Although Ten Hag’s tenure in the United dugout was fraught with inconsistent results in the EPL, the Dutchman led the club to two domestic trophies, winning the Carabao Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup in 2024.
Van Nistelrooy will take over on an interim basis alongside the remaining departing coach’s technical team members until a permanent manager is recruited.