Nigeria women’s national team head coach Justin Madugu has opened up on the difficult decision to leave out in-form forward Gift Monday from his final squad for the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco, Footynaija.com reports.
The 24-woman list released last week featured a blend of returning veterans and rising stars, with recalls for seasoned campaigners Asisat Oshoala and Francisca Ordega, both of whom had been absent from recent international fixtures.
However, the standout omission was Monday, who had been instrumental during Nigeria’s qualification campaign and has been enjoying one of the best spells of her career.
After netting ten goals for UD Tenerife in Spain before moving to Washington Spirit, Monday has already added four goals in nine appearances in the United States. Despite her form, Madugu admitted her exclusion was a tough but necessary decision.
“These players are all national assets,” Madugu explained as per Sports247.
“Leaving anyone out is painful. However, CAF regulations limit the number of players we can take.
“We carried out detailed analysis across all positions — assessing strengths, weaknesses, and flexibility. It’s not just Gift; there were others we would have loved to include too.”
One of the most eye-catching additions to the squad was US-based forward Chioma Okafor, who only recently switched allegiance from Malawi to Nigeria.
“We’ve been monitoring her closely through match footage and analysis,” Madugu added.
“Players like her can be surprise packages—unknown to opponents and useful tactically. She has potential, and we believe she will contribute positively.”
Nigeria will continue their WAFCON preparations with friendlies against Portugal in Lisbon tonight and Ghana on June 29, before their title defence kicks off on July 5.