[ad_1]
Rachel Kundananji of Zambia in action during the Women’s World Cup Soccer Group C match between Costa Rica and Zambia on Monday, July 31, 2023 in Hamilton, New Zealand. (AP Photo/Abby Parr)
Bay FC is an expansion club in the National Women’s Soccer League’s first year of existence, and operates similarly to the Dodgers and Yankees.
On Tuesday, the club announced the signing of 23-year-old Zambian striker Rachel Kundananzi from Madrid CFF. According to multiple reports, Bay FC paid a transfer fee of 735,000 euros (approximately $800,000), almost double the world record for a women’s soccer league. The move makes Kundanandji the world’s most expensive female soccer player.
Kundanandji scored 25 goals in the 2022-23 season, which ranks second in the league. The 24-year-old represented Zambia at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Bay FC announced in a release that she has signed a contract with the club until 2027 with an option for the 2028 season. Kundanandji will be added to the team’s roster once he receives his visa.
“We are delighted to add Rachel to our group,” Bay FC general manager Lucy Rushton said in a news release. “She is a fantastic talent with dynamic attacking qualities and an incredible physical profile, who has proven herself for both club and country. “Rachel has great composure in front of goal and is capable of a variety of different types. She has a natural ability to finish and score from a variety of locations. We look forward to her continued development at our club, demonstrating her skillset and adding to the exciting attacking talent that exists here. I believe you will.”
Kundanandji’s acquisition comes less than two weeks after Bay FC signed Asisat Oshoala, one of the best women’s players in the world, from FC Barcelona.
The club is currently in Southern California for preseason training and will compete in the Coachella Valley Invitational preseason tournament in Indio this weekend. Bay FC opens the regular season on March 16th with a road game at Angel City FC in Los Angeles.
Bay FC is one of two teams to join the NWSL this season, along with the Utah Royals, making America’s top women’s soccer league 14 teams.
In the Bay Area, Bay FC attracts attention by playing against MLS’s San Jose Earthquakes, as well as the Oakland Roots (USL Championship) and Oakland Soul (USL W-League). Kundanandji could be the biggest tourist attraction in the area.
“This is the culmination of a lot of hard work behind the scenes,” Bay FC Director of Scouting and Strategy Austin Buchanan said in a release. “Thanks to the continued support of our clubs and ownership groups and their commitment to raising standards across the women’s sport, we have been able to bring true young talent like Rachel to the league. We can’t wait to bring this to fruition and welcome Rachel to Bay FC and the NWSL.”
[ad_2]
Source link
