The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has issued a fresh appeal to media organisations, workers and the public to verify information before sharing news circulating on social media.
The federation said the warning followed a false report claiming Super Falcons defender Ashley Plumptre had complained about her exclusion from Nigeria’s squad for the Women Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
The tournament is scheduled to hold from July 25 to August 16.
NFF Denies Squad List Claims
NFF Director of Competitions, Ruth David, dismissed the report as completely fabricated, describing it as the work of an online impersonator.
“This is totally false,” she said, explaining that the player has long disassociated herself from Facebook.
She noted that Plumptre had previously confirmed she is not on Facebook, adding that impostor accounts have repeatedly used her identity.
David also clarified that no official squad list has been released for the tournament.
‘Coach Has Not Submitted List’
She further explained that the claims were baseless since the team coach has not yet submitted any player list for the WAFCON competition.
According to her, the same fake account had earlier spread similar misinformation involving other Super Falcons players.
She cited previous false claims involving Esther Okoronkwo and Asisat Oshoala.
“Some time ago, there was a report that Asisat Oshoala said she had retired from international football, which was patently false,” she said.
NFF Warns Media on Verification
The federation urged journalists and social media users to verify information before publishing or sharing it.
“We appeal to well-meaning individuals to double-check whatever news item they see anywhere,” David said.
She warned that fake news is becoming increasingly damaging to the integrity of public communication.
Plumptre Reacts to Impersonation
Ashley Plumptre also dismissed the viral report, describing it as part of ongoing impersonation scams targeting her identity.
“Awful false accounts,” she wrote, adding that she has reported the accounts on Instagram and X.
She said she is working to have the fake pages removed, noting that the impersonation has continued for over a year.
