Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has revealed the shocking state of Nigeria’s hotel base in Casablanca during the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, slamming the poor recovery conditions the players were forced to endure, Footynaija.com reports.
The 27-year-old, who played a key role as Nigeria claimed their 10th continental title, described the team’s accommodation as completely inadequate for a top-level tournament, saying it lacked basic recovery essentials like a gym or pool.
According to her, this had a direct impact on performance and recovery, especially for players returning from injury.
“For me and for some of the other girls, we were tired towards the end because we were put in a hotel in Morocco that didn’t have a gym,” Plumptre said, in a report by Legit.ng.
“It was one of those little hotels in the city… we didn’t have a gym or a pool or anything like that.”
Her comments come amid wider concerns over CAF’s organisation of the tournament, with players left to rely on public facilities for basic training needs. Plumptre revealed that, at one point, the team had to be taken to a public gym just to do recovery sessions.
“Towards the end of the tournament, we were taken to a public gym… That was pretty tough for someone like me who’s still trying to recover. I had an injury last year,” she said, referencing her extended layoff before returning to action.
Plumptre’s outburst paints a troubling picture behind Nigeria’s heroic WAFCON campaign. The team spent most of the tournament in a small hotel in Casablanca with no in-house training or recovery facilities. The situation was so cramped that players struggled to open their luggage without bumping into each other.
Regardless, Nigeria went on to beat hosts Morocco and emerge champions once again. But Plumptre’s revelation has raised questions over the treatment of women’s teams at the highest level in Africa.
“I don’t know whose fault that was, but if you want to perform at your best, you need the best environment,” she added.