Esther Sunday

Ukpong Esther Sunday is a Nigerian professional women footballer who plays for Malaysia National Women's League club Selangor and the Nigeria national team.

Playing career

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 (women)|Belarusian Premier League]. 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.
In January 2016, she moved to Turkey joining Trabzon İdmanocağı. She appeared in the Turkish Cosmetics 2016 Tournament. In the beginning of the 2016–17 Women's First League's second half, she transferred to the İzmir-based club Konak Belediyespor. She debuted at the UEFA Women's Champions League and took part in three matches of the 2017–18 qualifying round. 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. She played in all three matches and scored one goal. In the 2019–20 First League season, she returned to her former club Konak Belediyespor. By October 2020, she transferred to the Gazianyep-based club ALG Spor.

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. At senior level she was part of the African Women's Championship tournaments in 2010 [African Women's Championship|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.