As Nigeria gear up for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, defender Ashleigh Plumptre has openly voiced her desire for a highly anticipated rematch against Morocco — three years after a controversial semi-final exit in Rabat, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Falcons, nine-time African champions, are not just chasing a historic 10th title — they’re also out to settle scores.
The team’s painful elimination by Morocco on penalties in 2022, after playing most of the match with nine players, still stings. And for Plumptre, facing the Atlas Lionesses again — ideally on Moroccan soil — is high on her wishlist.
“I’m speaking on behalf of myself, I know other people feel like this. I just really want to play Morocco again,” Plumptre said on the On The Whistle Podcast. “I want to be in that environment, some of us have spoken about it.”
Despite the overwhelming atmosphere created by 50,000 Moroccan fans, Plumptre revealed she relished the hostility. “I loved it when we ran onto the field and there were 50,000 Moroccans booing us—it made me laugh.”
Nigeria’s exit in that semi-final was defined by dramatic circumstances, including two red cards. But Plumptre praised the team’s grit. “I remember that game, we went down to nine players, this said a lot about the team. I feel like this because of the group of girls I am around.”
She added, “I still believed we could win in normal time with nine players… and then we hit the crossbar. I would really like to play them again because I think that was really unfair. We all felt hard done by.”
With Morocco, Zambia, and defending champions South Africa all presenting stiff competition, the Super Falcons are under no illusions about the challenge ahead. Knockout projections suggest Nigeria could face Morocco or Zambia as early as the quarterfinals — setting the stage for a blockbuster showdown.
“Obviously, they’ve probably got a little bit of a different team right now—actually, majority it’s the same. Based on what happened to us the last time, I want to play them in Morocco. Let’s do a rematch.”
Nigeria begin their WAFCON journey this Sunday against Tunisia at the Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca.