Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre is a big fan of moi moi, the Nigerian delicacy best described as bean pudding — among other things she says have contributed to her Nigerian experience.
Born in England with Nigerian parentage, Plumptre joined the Nigerian national team in July 2021 and, along with her fellow Falcons, made the Top 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup after their 3-2 win against co-qualifier Australia and Group B clashes with Ireland and Canada ending in ties.
On the sidelines of the Falcon’s preparations for their quarter-finals qualifier against England, Plumptre told Channels Television about her experience with some of Nigeria’s popular foods.
“I have tried a lot of Nigerian food actually, while we’ve been on camp. We’ve had Nigerian food being brought in for us and a lot of people, a lot of the team, are like, ‘Do you want it because I want it?’ Because they want to take my food,” she said.
“But the other day, I was like, I’m like, ‘No, I’m having it today.’ I really like jollof rice. It was like jollof, plantain (and) my favourite, even though people always make fun of me – I love moi moi.”
Though the 25-year-old said she had yet to chow down on moi moi on camp, she notes that she is no stranger to the savoury dish.
“My aunty makes good moi moi,” she added.
