Esther Sunday

Ukpong Esther Sunday (born 13 March 1992) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Khovd Western FC and the Nigeria women's national football team.

Esther Sunday

Esther Sunday playing for Trabzon İdmanocağı in the 2016–17 Turkish Women's First Football League
Personal information
Full name	Ukpong Esther Sunday[1]
Date of birth	(1992-03-13) 13 March 1992 (age 33)[1]
Place of birth	Lagos, Nigeria
Height	1.58 m (5 ft 2 in)[1]
Position(s)	Left wing
Team information
Current team	Khovd Western FC (women)
Number	30
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
0000	Sunshine Queens
0000–2014	Pelican Stars
2014–2015	FC Minsk	24[2]	(27)
2016	Trabzon İdmanocağı	6	(8)
2016–2018	Konak Belediyespor	27	(20)
2018	Ataşehir Belediyespor	7	(4)
2019–2020	Konak Belediyespor	15	(4)
2020–2021	ALG Spor
2021–2022	Dijon	10	(0)
2022–2023	OKS Stomil Olsztyn
2023–2024	Rekord Bielsko-Biała	14	(9)
2024–2025	Sportowa Czwórka Radom
International career
2010–	Nigeria	24[3]	(5)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Playing career

Club

Esther Sunday (red) playing for Konak Belediyespor against Beşiktaş J.K. in the 2017–18 season's away match

Esther Sunday previously played for the Sunshine Queens and Pelican Stars, both in the Nigerian Women's Championship, before joining FC Minsk of the Belarusian Premier League.^[4][5] She was among three Nigerian internationals when the club won the Premier League, the Belarusian Women's Cup and the Belarusian Women's Super Cup.^[6]

In January 2016, she moved to Turkey joining Trabzon İdmanocağı. She appeared in the Turkish Cosmetics 2016 Tournament.^[7] In the beginning of the 2016–17 Women's First League's second half, she transferred to the İzmir-based club Konak Belediyespor.^[8] She debuted at the UEFA Women's Champions League and took part in three matches of the 2017–18 qualifying round.^[9][10][11] In July 2018, Sunday signed a one-year contract with Istanbul-based club Ataşehir Belediyespor, with participation at the 2018–19 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying round.^[12] She played in all three matches and scored one goal.^[13][14][15] In the 2019–20 First League season, she returned to her former club Konak Belediyespor.^[8] By October 2020, she transferred to the Gazianyep-based club ALG Spor.^[8]

International

Sunday has represented Nigeria women's national football team at junior levels, being in the squad of the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup and the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.^[12] At senior level she was part of the African Women's Championship tournaments in 2010, 2012 and 2014, winning it twice. She was also a member of the team which took part in the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, but did not progress past the group stage.^[12][16][17]

Career statistics

As of 8 March 2020

Club	Season	League			Continental		National		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Trabzon İdmanocağı	2015–16	First League	6	8	–	–			6	8
	Total		6	8	–	–			6	8
Konak Belediyespor	2016–17	First League	16	13	–	–			16	13
	2017–18	First League	11	7	3	0	0	0	14	7
	Total		27	20	3	0	0	0	30	20
Ataşehir Belediyespor	2018–19	First League	7	4	3	1			10	5
	Total		7	4	3	1	0	0	10	5
Konak Belediyespor	2019–20	First League	15	4	–	–			15	4
	Total		15	4	–	–	0	0	15	4

Honours

Club

Belarusian Premier League

FC Minsk

Winners (1): 2014

Belarusian Women's Cup

FC Minsk

Winners (1): 2014

Belarusian Women's Super Cup

FC Minsk

Winners (1): 2015

Turkish Women's First League

Konak Belediyespor

Winners (1): 2016–17

International

African Women's Championship

Nigeria women's national football team

Winners (3): 2010, 2014, 2016