Zambia ahead Racheal Kundananji turns into the most costly feminine footballer as she indicators for US aspect Bay FC.
Zambia ahead Racheal Kundananji has change into the most costly participant within the historical past of girls’s soccer after signing for Nationwide Ladies’s Soccer League (NWSL) growth workforce Bay FC.
The US membership, based mostly within the San Francisco Bay Space, signed the 23-year-old from Spanish membership Madrid CFF for a charge of $788,000.
Bay FC will play within the NWSL for the primary time this yr, turning into the league’s 14th workforce. The common season begins on March 16.
The deal additionally represents the primary time an African participant, male or feminine, has damaged a world switch file.
Kundananji has signed a four-year contract with an choice for a fifth yr with the signing coming simply two weeks after Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala, who gained the African Footballer of the 12 months award for the sixth time in December, signed from Barcelona.
The Copper Queen @KKundananji has arrived! 👑
The Zambian ahead joins #BayFC from @MadridCFF.
Learn the announcement at: https://t.co/S5koi2QcV6
#WeCameToPlay pic.twitter.com/xqNt4YN7zw— Bay Soccer Membership (@wearebayfc) February 13, 2024
‘A pure capability to attain’
Kundananji performed for Zambia in final yr’s Ladies’s World Cup. General, she has 10 objectives in 18 video games along with her nationwide workforce.
She scored 33 objectives in 43 Liga F video games since becoming a member of Madrid CFF in 2022.
“Racheal has a composure in entrance of aim and a pure capability to attain with several types of finishes and from numerous places,” Bay FC common supervisor Lucy Rushton stated in an announcement.
“We consider she’s going to proceed to develop and develop at our membership, showcasing her skillset and including to the array of thrilling attacking expertise we have now right here.”
Kundananji arrived at Madrid CFF from Sociedad Deportiva Eibar and shortly grew to become one of many membership’s prime gamers.
“[She] improved with our membership to change into an incredible ahead and we hope for one of the best in her subsequent skilled journey,” the Spanish membership stated. “Madrid CFF as soon as once more demonstrates that it is without doubt one of the finest golf equipment in attracting and incubating expertise and can proceed working with that aim sooner or later.”
Kundananji’s arrival with the workforce is pending the approval of her visa and worldwide switch certificates.
The switch tops the reported charge of practically $500,000 that Chelsea paid final month to Spanish membership Levante for Maya Ramirez.
