Nigerian star striker Francisca Ordega has joined Atletico Madrid on loan till March 2018.

The 24-year-old has signed for the reigning Spanish champions from U.S. top-tier side Washington Spirit.

She is expected to suit up for Atletico during the NWSL off-season and return to the Spirit at the start of the 2018 season.

“Atletico Madrid is a great, internationally-recognised club. It is an honor for me to join the team and I am very happy to be here,” said Ordega on her move to Spain.

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Africans in Spain

Ordega becomes the third African to play for the Rojiblancos after Equatorial Guineans Genoveva Añonman and Jade Boho Sayo.

She joins a growing list of Africans in La Liga, which includes the Cameroonian duo of Gabrielle Ngaska (Albacete) and Ngo Mbeleck (Sporting Huelva).

Also currently in La Liga are Ivorians Ida Guehai (Levante) and Ange Koko N’Guessan who has just joined Tenerife from Spanish giants Barcelona.

Jade is also back, after joining Madrid CFF from English side Reading at the end of last season.

Tough Season

Ordega will be looking to bounce back following a tough season in the NWSL, arguably the world’s most competitive women’s league.

After reaching their first ever NWSL playoffs final in 2016, eyes were on the Spirit and indeed Ordega, who scored the winning goal in the playoffs semi-finals, to go one better this year.

But things didn’t pan out as Spirit’s season was mired with major exits and injuries, resulting in a drop from runners-up in 2016 to bottom of the log in 2017.

Ordega wasn’t spared, suffering a knee injury that sidelined her for the better part of the season.

But she is back on the pitch, marking the second successive year that she has gone on loan in the off-season, after her stint at Australian side Sydney FC last year.

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