Plumptre debunks corruption, WAFCON omission claim

Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has strongly refuted viral reports claiming she was excluded from Nigeria's squad for the upcoming Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) due to corruption allegations. Plumptre described the spread of such misinformation as "frustrating and deeply unsettling."

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None of it is true. I want to be absolutely clear about that.

In a personal statement, Plumptre revealed that the fabricated claims originated from a Facebook page that bore a verified blue tick, lending it false credibility. The page falsely alleged that she refused to comply with demands from corrupt football officials, leading to her supposed omission from the national team. "None of it is true. I want to be absolutely clear about that," Plumptre stated emphatically.

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Fake accounts using my name and image on Facebook are not new to me. I have been dealing with this for many years as a professional football player. It has always been frustrating and deeply unsettling, but yesterday took things to a completely different level.

While acknowledging that fake accounts using her name are not new, Plumptre noted that this incident, due to the verified badge, crossed a significant line. She expressed gratitude to the Super Falcons Communications Team for publicly addressing the misinformation and thanked her captain, Rasheedat Ajibade, and her teammates for their immediate support. Plumptre and her team are now pursuing formal channels to have the fraudulent verified page reported and taken down swiftly.

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I want to personally thank the Super Falcons Communications Team for stepping in publicly about this fake news.

Plumptre also took the opportunity to clarify her official online presence, warning fans against engaging with any other accounts using her identity. She stressed that her only legitimate social media platforms are her Instagram account (@ashleighplumptre) and her LinkedIn profile, urging supporters to report any other pages impersonating her. This clarification comes as the Super Falcons intensify preparations for the WAFCON tournament.

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I want to thank my captain Rasheedat Ajibade OON for using her own platform to protect mine. I want to thank my teammates who reposted and rallied without hesitation.