Nigerian Super Falcons star Ashleigh Plumptre made her return to action as captain of Al Ittihad Ladies in a hard-fought “Clasico” match against rivals Al Hilal in the Saudi Arabian Women’s Premier League. Despite Plumptre’s leadership, Al Ittihad fell to a 0-2 defeat in the highly anticipated fixture.
The match was tightly contested, with both teams locked in a scoreless draw at halftime. However, Al Hilal took control in the second half, with Jessica Martinez breaking the deadlock through a brilliant free-kick. Martinez then doubled the lead, converting a cross to secure the win for Al Hilal.
Plumptre and her Al Ittihad teammates pushed to respond but couldn’t find a way past Al Hilal’s defense, who held on to claim all three points.
The 26-year-old defender recently returned to club action following an extended injury layoff. Her absence meant she missed the Super Falcons’ campaign at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and was not called up for Nigeria’s recent international break against Algeria’s Green Ladies. However, Plumptre is expected to make a return to the Super Falcons for an upcoming friendly against Les Bleues of France in November.
