Tag: Gift Monday

Nigerian international and Washington Spirit forward Gift Monday has paid  an emotional tribute to  “my first hero and my greatest supporter”, following the death of his adorable father.

The news came as a shock to many within the football community, as the 23 year-old attacker revealed the depth of her loss with emotional tribute  to her social media pages.

“My dad was more than a father, he was my foundation, his sacrifices, his wisdom, his hard work shaped the kind of person I am today.” She said.

Those close to Gift Monday confirmed that her father was more than just a parent, he was her constant source of motivation, a man who nurtured her passion for football from her earliest days.

Read Also: GTI seeks investors’ partnership after successful NFF’s AGM

That dream would one day blossom into one of Nigeria’s brightest football careers. From her breakout performances in the Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL) with FC Robo Queens, to lifting the WAFU Women’s Cup and representing Nigeria at the WAFCON and World Cup stages, Gift Monday has always carried her father’s influence with her, his words of discipline, humility, and courage echoing in every stride.

Already, messages of condolence have poured in from her teammates, coaches, and fans, hailing her father as “a man who raised a shining ambassador for Nigerian football.”

Gift Monday’s pain is palpable, yet her resolve remains unbroken. In her closing words, she promised to keep his legacy alive through her performances on the pitch, a vow that mirrors the fighter she has always been.

“You may be gone, Daddy, but your love will forever be my light. I’ll keep playing for you, always.”

Super Falcons forward Gift Monday has expressed her emotions after missing out on Nigeria’s campaign for the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), despite putting up a historic performance in the United States.

Speaking after her record-breaking display in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), the striker described playing for the Super Falcons as “a very big honour” and reaffirmed her desire to return to the national team setup.

Read Also: NFF D-License coaching course takes off in Abuja

 “I am always more than happy to represent the green white green. I’m doing what I can to get my feet together and hopefully get called up. I am so, so glad to give Nigeria this precious gift,” she said.

While her current exploits have grabbed global attention, Monday revealed her biggest motivation remains wearing the Nigerian jersey again. Having missed out on the recent WAFCON 24  campaign in Morocco ,she believes her form could soon open the door for another Super Falcons call-up ahead of the WAFCON qualifiers second round double header against Benin Republic  next month

23-year-old Monday’s last involvement with the Super Falcons was in October 2024, when the Super Falcons faced Algeria in a two-legged friendly.

Super Falcons’ forward Gift Monday has been crowned as  the Player of Matchday 22 of the United States Women’s League (USWL) following her sensational hat-trick for Washington Spirit.

The 23-year-old received the highest number of votes in a poll conducted on X (formerly Twitter) , securing 50 percent of the 881 votes cast. She comfortably outpolled Gotham FC’s Rose Lavelle (35 percent), Utah Royals’ Mia Justus (8 percent), and Kansas City’s Bia Zaneratto (7 percent).

It has been a week to remember for the Nigerian international. In addition to the Player of the Week accolade, she was also named in the USWL Team of Matchday 22, further underlining her growing influence in the league.

Read Also: UCL: Lookman returns with start as Atalanta beat Brugge 2-1

Monday’s treble not only powered Washington Spirit to victory but also boosted her tally for the season to eight goals and two assists in 19 matches. The former FC Robo Queens and Tenerife striker is now firmly in the race for the Golden Boot, sitting fourth on the charts.

She trails Kansas City’s Temwa Chawinga, who leads with 14 goals, Gotham FC’s Esther Gonzalez (13 goals), and Chicago Stars’ Ludmila da Silva (10 goals).

Having only joined Washington Spirit at the start of the campaign, Monday has quickly established herself as one of the USWL’s most dangerous forwards. Her form will also be a huge boost for Nigeria as they prepare for upcoming international assignments.

Super Falcons attacker, Gift Monday says her attention has shifted from her heroic of last weekend and now fully focused on Washington Spirits continental action against Gotham FC in the Concacaf Women’s Champions Cup tomorrow.

Monday also revealed that they also have San Diego Wave to slug it out this weekend in the league and cannot continue to dwell on her hat-trick of the past weekend.

The former FC Robo Queens striker  etched her name into the history books on Sunday, scoring the fastest hat-trick from the start of a match in NWSL history to inspire Washington Spirit’s emphatic 4-0 victory over Houston Dash and book their place in the playoffs.

The 23-year-old forward struck three times inside the opening 36 minutes, underlining her reputation as one of the league’s most lethal finishers. She opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a calm finish past Abby Smith, doubled her tally three minutes later by pouncing on a rebound, and completed her treble with a deft strike from a Trinity Rodman assist.

Each goal was marked with Monday’s trademark bow-and-arrow celebration and dance routine, a gesture she explained carries a personal meaning.

Read Also: Ballon d’Or: NFF congratulates Nnadozie, Madugu

 “Growing up, I didn’t have people who really believed in my potential,” Monday said. “Each time I score, I shoot the arrow because I see myself more than how people see me — right there up in the sky among the stars.

“I can’t continue dwelling on the goals I scored though I am thrilled about it. I am now more concerned about our upcoming games in the Champions Cup and the league.”

Her historic feat, assisted by U.S. internationals Rodman (two) and Croix Bethune (one), makes her only the second Spirit player after Crystal Dunn in 2015 to record a first-half hat-trick.

Signed earlier this year from UD Granadilla Tenerife in Spain, Monday has now netted eight goals in 19 appearances, keeping her firmly in the Golden Boot race alongside Orlando’s Barbra Banda and Chicago’s Ludmila.

The Spirit’s triumph was not only historic for Monday but also for the club, delivering their biggest-ever winning margin and stretching their unbeaten streak to 10 games — a new record.

Super Falcons attacker Gift Monday was on the score sheet for her National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side, Washington Spirit again as they extended their outstanding run in the league with another crucial win.

Monday got the icing on the cake for Washington Spirit when she bagged the third goal of their 3-1 victory over North Carolina Courage in the second-half and thus reaffirmed her growing reputation as one of the league’s most clinical finishers.

It was her fourth goal of a sparkling debut NWSL season, and perhaps the most important yet, coming at a critical moment to snuff out any hopes of a North Carolina comeback and send the home crowd into rapturous celebration.

The contest kicked off with Washington Spirit showing their intent from the very first whistle. They pressed high, moved the ball sharply, and were rewarded with an early breakthrough. In the 24th minute, Courtney Brown capitalized on a defensive lapse to slot home the opener.

Barely had the cheers subsided when Brittany Ratcliffe doubled the lead three minutes later. A slick team move saw Ratcliffe ghost into space and coolly dispatch the ball beyond the Courage goalkeeper, giving the Spirit a deserved 2-0 lead and sending a strong message to the visitors.

Read Also: Man City sign Wolves defender Ait-Nouri for £31m

To their credit, North Carolina Courage responded with character. Their Japanese import, M. Matsukubo, gave them a lifeline in the 32nd minute, firing in a well-taken goal after a swift counterattack. The visitors suddenly had belief, and for the remainder of the first half, they probed and pressed for an equalizer

But Washington’s defense, marshalled expertly by captain Amber Brooks and the ever-reliable Andi Sullivan in midfield, held firm to take a narrow advantage into the brea.

The second half began with North Carolina Courage pushing forward, seeking the goal that would level the tie.

Recognizing the need for fresh legs and attacking spark, Washington Spirit manager Jonatan Giráldez turned to his bench, and onto the pitch came Gift Monday.

In the 58^th  minute, following a clever passage of play down the right, Ashley Sanchez delivered a teasing cross into the penalty area. The ball deflected off a defender and fell kindly for Monday, who wasted no time in nodding into the net.

Nigerian international Gift Monday made the most of his debut for her new club scoring the decisive winner  as Washington Spirit triumphed over the top-seeded Orlando Pride 1-0.

It was Washington Spirit’s securing first regular season win at Orlando since October 2019.

In her first start in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), forward Monday scored the match’s only goal, while goalkeeper Aubrey Kingsbury anchored the defense, achieving a third consecutive clean sheet.

With a record of 4-1-0, the Spirit remains positioned near the top of the NWSL standings with 12 points.

Orlando dominated much of the match, holding 62% possession, registering six shots, and making 14 entries into the Spirit’s penalty area within the first 28 minutes. Despite the Spirit’s struggles, their defense successfully thwarted Orlando’s skilled offense, leading to a scoreless halftime.

Leicy Santos, who was previously listed as questionable, replaced Courtney Brown at the start of the second half.

Read Also: Ndidi suffers relegation  again with Leicester down

Once again, the Pride asserted their dominance early in the second half, with star forward Barbra Banda taking a shot on goal just one minute in.

Despite the pressure from Orlando’s offense, Kingsbury made six saves in her 150th regular season appearance, supported by defender Tara McKeown, who effectively contained Banda for the majority of the match.

In the 60^th  minute, Rosemonde Kouassi made her season debut, substituting for Ashley Hatch due to a concussion.

Shortly thereafter, newly-acquired forward Gift Monday applied significant pressure on Orlando’s goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse during an attempted clearance.

Monday intercepted the ball and successfully found the back of the net, giving the Spirit a 1-0 advantage.