NWSL - Spirit's Monday 'hurt' by Nigeria WAFCON snub

After a daze exclusion from Nigeria's squad to adjacent month's Women's Africa Cup of Nations, Washington Spirit striker Gift Monday has expressed her heavy disappointment, but besides her enactment from afar.

Widely expected to beryllium successful a shoo-in for Justin Madugu's squad to Morocco, the Spirit guardant was conscionable arsenic stunned arsenic the full federation erstwhile her sanction was not listed connected the roster.

"I person seen the authoritative squad database for the upcoming WAFCON tourney and yes, my sanction isn't connected it," Monday wrote successful a connection connected her Instagram page.

"While it hurts and is simply a pugnacious pill to swallow, I privation to marque it wide that I clasp nary grudges, nary resentment."

The 22-year-old guardant has been successful standout signifier this year, scoring 4 goals successful 9 appearances for the Spirit successful the National Women's Soccer League. Her interaction has been contiguous since arriving from Tenerife successful Spain, wherever she besides showed committedness earlier this season, scoring 10 goals.

Despite being fit, successful form, and wide considered 1 of Nigeria's astir in-form attackers, Monday was not among the 24 players selected by caput manager Justin Madugu for the tourney successful Morocco.

Instead, 1 of the last guardant slots went to Chioma Okafor, a University of Connecticut subordinate who has yet to play professionally. Okafor had an awesome collegiate season, scoring 10 goals successful 18 matches, but the determination to prime her implicit Monday has raised eyebrows among fans and pundits alike.

Neither Madugu, nor the NFF person commented connected wherefore Monday was near out, but determination person been suggestions that she was not afloat fit, a assertion that the forward, who has played each crippled for the Spirit since making her debut, was speedy to dismiss.

"I americium hale and hearty, afloat fit, and inactive profoundly successful emotion with the crippled and the greenish achromatic green," Monday wrote.

"Though I won't beryllium connected the transportation with the squad successful Morocco, my bosom volition beryllium determination each measurement of the way. I stay afloat committed to cheering my state from home, lifting each supplication and each outcry of enactment for the badge we each combat truthful hard to represent."

While galore successful Nigerian shot circles person questioned the call, Monday has chosen to absorption her connection connected unity and encouragement.

"To the unthinkable women who made the squad, spell retired determination and marque history. Let your passionateness roar. Let your pridefulness show. You transportation the hopes of millions including mine," she said.

Monday's maturity successful the look of disappointment has lone earned her much admiration, not conscionable with fans, but with teammates, with astir each 1 of her Super Falcons teammates leaving encouraging comments and emojis of enactment connected her Instagram post.

"Sometimes the hardest moments uncover the spot of our hearts," she said, striking a enactment of resilience and hope.

"I'll beryllium watching. I'll beryllium believing. I'll beryllium back. Come connected Super Falcons. Let's alert high."

As it stands, she volition beryllium watching from afar, cheering connected her teammates successful Group B matches against Tunisia, Botswana, and Algeria erstwhile the tourney kicks off.