Gift Monday

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Gift Monday

| image =

| fullname = Gift Nyakno Monday

| birth_date = {{birth date and age |df=yes|2001|12|9}}

| birth_place = Akwa Ibom, Nigeria

| height = 1.68 m{{cite web |url=https://int.soccerway.com/players/gift-monday/559575/ |title=Profile of Gift Monday |website=soccerway.com |publisher=Soccerway |access-date=9 July 2023}}

| position = Striker

| currentclub = Washington Spirit

| clubnumber = 21

| youthclubs1 =

| youthyears1 =

| years1 = 2016–2018

| clubs1 = COD United Amazons

| caps1 = 25

| goals1 = 18

| years2 = 2018–2021

| clubs2 = FC Robo

| caps2 =

| goals2 = 13

| years3 = 2021–2022

| clubs3 = Bayelsa Queens

| caps3 =

| goals3 =

| years4 = 2022–2025

| clubs4 = UD Tenerife

| caps4 = 66

| goals4 = 19

| years5 = 2025–

| clubs5 = Washington Spirit

| caps5 = 10

| goals5 = 4

| nationalyears1 = 2018–2020

| nationalteam1 = Nigeria U20

| nationalcaps1 = 3

| nationalgoals1 = 0

| nationalyears2 = 2019–

| nationalteam2 = Nigeria

| nationalcaps2 = 10

| nationalgoals2 = 2

| pcupdate = 22 June 2025

| ntupdate = 18 December 2022

}}

Gift Nyakno Monday (born 9 December 2001) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Nigeria national team.

Club career

In January 2021, Monday was named the league's Player of the Month for the second consecutive month.{{cite web |title=Gift Monday Receives Nigeria Women League Player Of The Month Award |url=https://afrinews247.com/2021/01/07/gift-monday-receives-nigeria-women-league-player-of-the-month-award/ |publisher=Afrinews247 |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=January 7, 2021 |archive-date=18 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418103629/https://afrinews247.com/2021/01/07/gift-monday-receives-nigeria-women-league-player-of-the-month-award/ |url-status=dead }} In March 2021, Monday scored a brace to lift FC Robo to a 2–1 win over the undefeated Rivers Angels.{{cite web |title=Monday Gift inspired FC Robo ends Rivers Angels unbeaten run |url=https://www.kick442.com/monday-gift-inspired-fc-robo-ends-rivers-angels-unbeaten-run/ |publisher=Kick442.com |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=18 March 2021 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417003934/https://www.kick442.com/monday-gift-inspired-fc-robo-ends-rivers-angels-unbeaten-run/ |url-status=dead }} Monday inspired Bayelsa Queens to winning the 2021–22 league title and also finished as the season's top scorer.{{cite web|url=https://punchng.com/monday-gifts-bayelsa-queens-nwfl-super-six-title/|title=Gift Monday gifts Bayelsa Queens NWFL Premiership Super Six title|work=The Punch|date=22 May 2022}}

In September 2022, Monday joined Spanish Liga F club UD Granadilla Tenerife.{{cite web|url=https://sportsration.com/gift-monday-joins-tenerife-from-robo-queens/|title=Gift Monday joins Tenerife from Robo Queens|first=Adefala|last=Tope|website=SportsRation|date=5 September 2022}}

On 25 March 2025, NWSL club Washington Spirit acquired Monday from Tenerife in exchange for an undisclosed fee and signed her to a three-year contract with an additional team option for 2028.{{Cite web |last=Spirit |first=Washington |date=2025-03-25 |title=Washington Spirit Signs Star Nigerian Forward Gift Monday |url=https://washingtonspirit.com/blog/2025/03/25/washington-spirit-signs-star-nigerian-forward-gift-monday/ |access-date=2025-03-25 |website=Washington Spirit |language=en-US}} She made her club debut on 12 April 2025, coming on as a substitute for Gabrielle Carle in a 2–0 victory over Racing Louisville FC.{{Cite web |last=Spirit |first=Washington |date=2025-04-13 |title=Recap: Leicy Santos and Ashley Hatch Solidify Spirit’s Second Road Win |url=https://washingtonspirit.com/blog/2025/04/12/recap-leicy-santos-and-ashley-hatch-solidify-spirits-second-road-win/ |access-date=2025-04-13 |website=Washington Spirit |language=en-US}} One week later, Monday recorded her first NWSL start and goal, scoring after stealing the ball from goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse at the goal line in a 1–0 victory over league leaders Orlando Pride.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/6293207/2025/04/19/washington-spirit-defeat-orlando-pride-injury-soccer/|title=Depleted Spirit defeats reigning NWSL champion despite Trinity Rodman’s absence|date=2025-04-19|last=Pelit|first=Asli|website=The Athletic|access-date=2025-04-19}}

International career

Monday competed at the 2018 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in France. In 2019, she captained the national team to its first gold medal in 12 years at the African Games after defeating Cameroon 3–1 on penalties.{{cite web |title=Know Your NWFL Players: Gift Monday of FC Robo Queens |url=https://www.kick442.com/know-your-nwfl-players-gift-monday-of-fc-robo-queens/ |publisher=Kick442 |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=6 May 2020 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417003934/https://www.kick442.com/know-your-nwfl-players-gift-monday-of-fc-robo-queens/ |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |last1=Saliu |first1=Mo |title=African Games champion Monday Gift dreams Falcons debut |url=https://www.footballlive.ng/african-games-champion-monday-gift-dreams-falcons-debut/ |publisher=footballlive.ng |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=2 September 2019 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417003935/https://www.footballlive.ng/african-games-champion-monday-gift-dreams-falcons-debut/ |url-status=dead }} In February 2021, Monday was named to the senior national team squad ahead of the 2021 Turkish Women's Cup. She was part of the team that won the championship and was the first African team to do so.{{cite web |title=Nigeria 9-0 Equatorial Guinea: Super Falcons clinch Turkish Women's Cup in style |url=https://www.goal.com/en/news/nigeria-9-0-equatorial-guinea-super-falcons-clinch-turkish/q3hbfipmb80i1s8fhlps21quj |publisher=Goal.com |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=23 February 2021}} She scored the eighth goal in the team's 9–0 win over Equatorial Guinea.{{cite web |title=Equatorial Guinea 0 Nigeria 9 : Barcelona's Oshoala Nets Four, Sevilla's Payne |url=https://www.allnigeriasoccer.com/read_news.php?nid=39053 |publisher=Allnigeria.com |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=23 February 2021}}

On 16 June 2023, she was included in the 23-player Nigerian squad for the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023.{{Cite web |author1=Ryan Dabbs |date=2023-06-14 |title=Nigeria Women's World Cup 2023 squad: most recent call ups |url=https://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/nigeria-women-world-cup-2023-squad-team-roster-players |access-date=2023-06-20 |website=fourfourtwo.com |language=en}}

Monday was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2024 Summer Olympics as an unrolled alternate player.{{cite web|url=https://thenff.com/paris-2024-olympics-waldrum-picks-ajibade-nnadozie-oshoala-15-others/|title=Paris 2024 Olympics: Waldrum picks Ajibade, Nnadozie, Oshoala, 15 others|publisher=Nigeria Football Federation|website=thenff.com|date=3 July 2024}}

Honors

; Individual

NWFL Premiership Player of the Month: December 2020,{{cite web |title=NWFL Premiership Player and Manager for December Revealed. |url=https://thenwfl.com/gift-monday-moses-aduku-named-nwfl-premiership-player-and-manager-for-december/ |publisher=NWFL |access-date=17 April 2021 |date=4 January 2021 |archive-date=17 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417003933/https://thenwfl.com/gift-monday-moses-aduku-named-nwfl-premiership-player-and-manager-for-december/ |url-status=dead }} January 2021
NWFL Premiership Player of the Season: 2022
Liga F Player of the Month: February 2025{{cite news|url=https://ligaf.es/noticia/gift-monday-mejor-jugadora-del-mes-de-febrero|publisher=Liga F|date=3 March 2025|title=Gift Monday, Mejor jugadora del mes de febrero|trans-title=Gift Monday, Best Player of the Month of February|access-date=14 April 2025|lang=ES}}

; International