Spotlight: How Zambia's Rachael Kundananji Sets Remarkable Milestone for Women's Football, Emerging as the Most Expensive Female Footballer with Bay F

Zambia’s National Treasure Kundananji who recently signed for NWSL rookie Bay FC has become the most expensive player in the history of women’s football signed from Madrid CFF for a sum of EUR 805,000.

Breaking this record at just age 23 does not only speak success for women’s football but also for the continent making it the first time an African player male or female has broken a world transfer record.

Talent, Skills and finisher

Bay FC General Manager Lucy Rushton eloquently summarizes Rachel’s prowess, describing her as “a tremendous talent with dynamic attacking qualities.” Rachel’s exceptional scoring ability has been showcased on the world stage, notably during her representation of Zambia in Australia at last year’s Women’s World Cup, where she netted 10 goals in 18 games.

Journey to greatness

Born in 2000 in Zambia, Kundananji started her career with Indeni Roses, a club in Zambia’s women’s league, where she scored 21 goals in 18 games, contributing significantly to the club’s league victory. Her first foray into professional football abroad occurred in 2019 with a club in Kazakhstan, where she played an instrumental role in securing the championship title. Subsequently, in 2022, Kundananji moved to the Spanish side Eibar, and later that year, she transferred to Madrid CFF. Her outstanding performance, highlighted by a hat-trick against Alhama FC, earned her the title of Player of the Month in April 2023. In total, she scored 33 goals in 43 Liga F matches before her groundbreaking transfer to Bay FC on February 13th for a record-breaking fee.

Final words

Optimistic to see what magic Rachael alongside new signing cum Nigeria’s Oshoala will be at Bay FC who will play in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) for the first time March 17th when they meet Angel FC.