MONDAY: A Gift that keeps giving

Some things feel inevitable, and the continuous rise in the stock of Monday Gift (Eno-Abasi) at UD Tenerife seems to be one of them.

Having extended her contract with the Adeje Egatesa Club for three years in September 2024, Monday has not looked back, hitting double digits for the season and scoring in five Liga F games in a row since the beginning of 2025.

The Nigerian forward is arguably the most in-form player in the league, with six goals already in this calendar year. Only Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor, with 15 league goals (1229 minutes played), and Granada’s Nigerian striker Edna Imade, with 12 goals (1545 minutes), have scored more Liga F goals than Monday, who has 10 goals in 1379 minutes.

Gift Monday en sus últimos 5 partidos de #LigaF:

𝐉𝟏𝟒 ⚽⚽
𝐉𝟏𝟓 ⚽
𝐉𝟏𝟔 ⚽➕🅰️
𝐉𝟏𝟕 ⚽
𝐉𝟏𝟖 ⚽ pic.twitter.com/2AI4RHRO10

— Liga F (@LigaF_oficial) February 9, 2025

“I feel like the best player in the world at the moment, and I’m thankful to my teammates and coaches for their support, which has helped me perform at my best,” Monday said after scoring a late winner away at Valencia Fem on 9 February this year.

At Tenerife, Monday is not only a ‘ruthless gift’ of a finisher and a willing creator for others but also a superb team player with a tireless desire for off-the-ball work.

She was recently nominated for the Liga F Player of the Month award for February and January 2025 and had also been nominated for November 2024, while scooping two Chafiras Player of the Match awards.

Stand-Out Moments

Before the winter break, all of Monday’s goals were scored from headers, except for a low shot in the defeat to Barcelona during the Copa de la Reina last December. Standing tall at six feet, her aerial prowess is phenomenal. Her darting runs, timing, and leaps create nightmares for opposing defenders and goalkeepers. The technique and power she generates before steering the ball home are magnificent.

Earlier in the season, Sevilla Fem felt the full force of Monday’s skill, as she scored two brilliant headers in a 4-1 victory over the Andalucians in Adeje. She opened the scoring with a ‘textbook’ header after outmuscling the Sevilla defenders to meet an inswinger from a corner taken by Ranson Babajide.

If the first goal was stunning, the second was sensational; Monday darted toward the front post to connect with Ange’s cross with a diving header that beat the goalkeeper. It’s fair to say she is one of the best offensive headers of the ball in the women’s game.

In another memorable moment, Monday scored twice in Tenerife’s first game of the New Year in 2025 against Deportivo Abanca Fem, contributing to a 5-1 thrashing along the South Coast.

Performance Insights

Some of Monday’s goals in the 2024/25 season have been undeniably spectacular. According to fans who attend games at Egatesa or away from home, her energy and tenacity are what make her such a popular figure among fans and teammates.

Simply put, it’s her willingness to run herself into the ground to help her colleagues. This may not always result in beautiful goals, but it is critical to the foundation of UD Tenerife’s success, orchestrated by coach Eder Maestre.

Currently standing in sixth position on the Liga F table, UD Tenerife will welcome Levante Baladona to Adeje on 2 March, hoping that their “gift” keeps giving.

Did You Know?

• Monday Gift scored an impressive 12 goals in just five matches during the 2021/2022 NWFL Premiership Super League for Bayelsa Queens.
• She netted a brace in the final playoff game against Nasarawa Amazons, with her first goal coming in just 25 seconds, making it the fastest goal in the 2021/2022 NWFL Premiership Super League.