Nigeria vs South Africa: Blow for Super Falcons as smiling defender Plumptre pulls out due to injury

 In a major setback for the Nigerian national women's football team, the Super Falcons, defender Ashleigh Plumptre has withdrawn from the upcoming match against South Africa due to an injury.

Plumptre has been in sensational form since her move to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad after the 2023 FIFA World Cup and has been a standout performer for the Super Falcons. 

The 25-year-old has scored eight goals for her new club, including a hat-trick, and her absence will be a significant blow to Nigeria's chances.

To fill the void left by Plumptre's withdrawal, the Super Falcons have called up defender Jumoke Alani as her replacement.

The two-legged tie between Nigeria and South Africa is set to be a crucial encounter, with the first leg scheduled to take place at the MKO Abiola Stadium in Abuja on Friday, 5 April. 

The teams will then travel to Pretoria for the return fixture at Loftus Versfeld on Tuesday, 9 April.

The Super Falcons will be looking to secure a positive result in the first leg before the return match in South Africa. 

Randy Waldrum and his team will be hoping toovercome the loss of Plumptre and put in a strong performance to secure a place in the next round of the competition.