After beating a host of big names to the 2023 women's award, the Madrid CFF star's career looks set to explode in the coming years
The 2023 Women’s World Cup belonged to Spain, who beat England 1-0 in the final in Sydney back in August – but, in another way, it also belonged to Africa. For the first time in tournament history, despite off-pitch obstacles suggesting that the odds were against them, three African nations made it through to the last 16 of the competition.
For Morocco, it was a reward for the excellent work the federation has done investing in women's football, following up the team's run to the final of a home Women's Africa Cup of Nations in 2022. But for Nigeria and South Africa, it was a message sent to their federations that they deserve that investment and made many ponder what both nations could achieve with more. After all, eventual finalists England needed a penalty shootout to beat an impressive Nigeria side, while South Africa posed the Netherlands plenty of problems and created tons of chances despite the final result being a 2-0 win for the Dutch.
There was history for Zambia, too, the Copper Queens completing the quartet of nations representing Africa in Australia and New Zealand. Pooled in an extremely tough group in which eventual champions Spain only finished second, behind a Japan team that thrashed them 4-0, Zambia couldn’t secure their spot in the knockout rounds but they did secure a first ever Women’s World Cup win, on their tournament debut.
The team’s 3-1 win over Costa Rica was a memorable one for a team packed with talent, the Copper Queens backing up their fantastic achievement of qualifying for the Olympic women’s football tournament in 2021 with even more history at another huge international event.
With a third-placed finish secured at WAFCON last year, too, it’s clear that this team is one with a very bright future, the average age of their World Cup squad coming in at just over 23 years. From China-based superstar Barbra Banda to talented midfielder Grace Chanda, there are so many quality players to note in this team and prime among them is Racheal Kundananji, this year’s GOAL50 women’s winner and the first ever GOAL50 winner, men’s or women’s, from Africa.
GettySlowly but surely
Kundananji’s rise to the top of the women’s game, with her catching everyone’s eye last season thanks to a remarkable 25 goals in just 29 league games in Spain, didn’t come overnight. Having shone in Zambia’s domestic league as a teenager, the forward caught the eye of Kazakhstani club BIIK Kazygurt during a national team camp and was soon on her way to Europe.
Though boasting one of Europe’s lower-profile leagues, playing in Kazakhstan was that first step towards where she is today and it gave her a taste of the UEFA Women’s Champions League, too, with Kundananji scoring four goals in 11 appearances in the competition.
“The coach believed in me that I could improve, especially in front of goal,” she recalled earlier this year, in an interview with . “They believed in me and gave me a chance. When I received the contract, I was very happy. It has been my dream to play in Europe and that was a big motivation for me. When I went to Kazakhstan, I worked so hard to improve myself in every way. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to perfect myself. From the day I moved there to where I am now, I’m just trying to perfect myself. No one is perfect, no one is the best they can be, but I work hard every day to make sure I can do the best I can.”
Kundananji’s hard work paid off when, in 2021, she was spotted by Spanish side Eibar and earned a move to one of Europe’s biggest leagues. Again, it wasn’t easy when she got there. The club was battling relegation and would eventually succumb to that fate – but the Zambian forward’s eight goals in 21 appearances for a struggling team meant she would get a chance to stick around in the top tier…
AdvertisementGettyMarvellous in Madrid
A move to the Spanish capital beckoned in the summer of 2022 when Madrid CFF, an independent women’s club, came calling. Given the team is not attached to a successful (and rich) men's side, things are not easy for Madrid CFF. Indeed, it was long thought that the club would be taken over by Real Madrid when Los Blancos eventually decided to get involved in the women's game. However, that wouldn't prove to be the case. Real targeted another independent club, CD Tacon, and Madrid CFF have continued to impress over the years.
The club has been in the top tier in Spain ever since promotion as champions of the second division in 2017 and they have had some memorable campaigns, most notably the 2020-21 season, in which they registered a seventh-placed finish in the league and reached the semi-finals of the Copa de la Reina.
But, having finished 13th the following year, Kundananji’s arrival ahead of the 2022-23 campaign would eventually propel them to a best-ever place of fifth, the Zambian star netting 25 times in 29 Liga F outings. Only Alba Redondo, the Spain international at Levante, bettered those numbers, scoring 27 to win the Golden Boot.
GettyA joy to watch
To watch Kundananji play is to watch someone who absolutely loves what she does. The delight with which she races into her trademark knee slide celebration never fails to put a smile on your face – and it is something we have seen plenty of since she moved to Madrid.
As well as being blessed with great pace, Kundananji has a fantastic understanding of the game, great awareness and an enviable ability to use both feet. It means she's capable of scoring such a variety of goals – be they tap-ins that showcase her great instincts, technically stunning strikes or composed finishes when there is only the goalkeeper to beat.
The 23-year-old can just about do it all and she does it with infectious energy, your eye drawn to her ability to constantly be a threat to the opponent. She is a delight to watch when she is in full flow, and she usually is.
Giant-killer
Despite spending the 2022-23 season scoring for fun, the final weekend of the Liga F season felt like a big moment for Kundananji. Everyone had seen her numbers and understood what she could do but when Barcelona came to town on May 21, she put an exclamation mark at the end of it all.
The Catalans had won the league on April 30, with four games to spare, and were bidding to make it an invincible season. They had won every single league game on their way to that title and their only dropped points had come two games later, away at Sevilla on May 10. But Madrid weren’t there to simply roll over and let that happen. Instead, two first half goals, within seven minutes of each other, saw Kundananji set her team on their way to a shock victory.
The Zambian star was a serious threat on the counter and complemented her pace with her clinical touch to not only spoil Barca’s chances of an unbeaten season, but to condemn the Spanish – and soon-to-be European – champions to a first league loss in 65 games, ending a streak that had gone on for two years.
