Gift Monday Heartbroken After Missing Out on Super Falcons WAFCON Squad

Gift Monday, one of Nigeria’s top women’s footballers, has shared how sad and disappointed she feels after being left out of the Super Falcons team for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.

The 23-year-old forward has been in great form. She scored 10 goals in Spain with UD Tenerife and then moved to the USA, where she continued to shine with Washington Spirit, scoring 4 goals and making 1 assist in just 9 games. Many fans expected her to be on the final list for the tournament.

However, coach Justin Madugu chose not to include her. Instead, he brought back experienced players like Asisat Oshoala and Francisca Ordega, and gave a first-time call-up to Chioma Okafor, who was born in Malawi.

Gift Monday didn’t hide how much the news hurt her. In a message on social media, she explained that she is fully fit and healthy, and that the decision was not due to injury.

She wrote;
“Sometimes the hardest moments show us how strong we are. It hurts not to be on the list. I won’t lie — it’s painful. But I have no anger. I am fit and still love the game and my country. Even though I won’t be in Morocco, my heart will be with the team. I’ll be watching, supporting, and believing. I’ll be back.”

Gift’s football journey started in 2018 at the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. She captained Nigeria to a gold medal at the African Games in 2019 and helped win the Turkish Women’s Cup in 2021. She also played in the 2022 WAFCON and the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Despite her strong record and recent performances, this is the second time in less than a year that she has been overlooked for a major tournament. She was also only named as a backup for Nigeria’s 2024 Olympic qualifiers.

For now, all she can do is support her teammates from afar — with a heavy heart and the hope of wearing the green and white again soon.