Racheal Kundananji, was born on June 3, 2000, is a professional football player from Zambia.
She currently serves as a forward for the Bay FC team in the National Women’s Soccer League and also represents the Zambia women’s national team.
REAL FACTS ABOUT RACHEAL KUNDANAJI
FULL NAME: Racheal Kundananji
DATE OF BIRTH: June 3, 2000
PLACE OF BIRTH: Zambia
NATIONALITY: Zambian
MARITAL STATUS: single
OCCUPATION: Footballer
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
There is limited information available about Racheal Kundananji’s early life and education, but she was born in Zambia on June 3, 2000.
CAREER
Kundananji, a talented football player from Zambia, started her career with Indeni Roses in the Copperbelt Women League.
She made a significant impact by scoring 21 goals in 18 games, which contributed to the team’s victory in the league championship.
At the age of 18 in 2019, Kundananji ventured abroad and signed her first professional contract with BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan.
Her skills and contributions helped the team secure consecutive league championships in 2019 and 2020.
For the 2021-22 season, Kundananji joined SD Eibar, a prominent team in the Premiera Iberdrola, the top-tier Spanish league.
In April, she showcased her talent by scoring two goals in a match against Tenerife, although her team suffered a 3-2 loss.
Throughout her time with SD Eibar, Kundananji scored a total of 8 goals in 21 appearances.
In August 2022, Kundananji made another move and signed with Madrid CFF.
Her impact was immediate, as she scored two goals against Real Sociedad in November.
Kundananji’s outstanding performances led to her being named Madrid’s Player of the Month in April 2023.
This recognition came after she scored a hat-trick against Alhama CF, a goal against Valencia CF, and two goals in a surprising 2-1 victory against FC Barcelona.
In May 2023, Kundananji continued to impress by scoring two goals against Deportivo Alavés Gloriosas, contributing to Madrid’s 5-1 win.
Throughout the season, she scored a total of 25 goals, placing her second in the league’s top scorers, just behind Alba Redondo with 27 goals. Madrid finished the season in fifth place.
On February 13, 2024, it was announced that Kundananji had made a groundbreaking transfer to Bay FC, with a transfer fee of £625,000.
This transfer deal is set to last until 2027, with the possibility of extending for another year.
Kundananji represented Zambia in the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, which was the qualifying tournament for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
She scored three goals in the tournament, including two goals against Equatorial Guinea.
In 2020, Kundananji participated in the CAF Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament and helped the team secure their first-ever spot in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan by winning the tournament.
She was selected for Zambia’s roster for the Olympics, which were postponed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a thrilling 4-4 draw against China, Kundananji scored a goal and assisted on Zambia’s third goal.
Although the team did not advance past the group stage in their first Olympic tournament, Zambian president Edgar Lungu expressed his pride in the team’s performance, praising their resilience despite challenges such as a red card and a serious injury to their goalkeeper.
He commended their hard work, which he believed exemplified the true Zambian spirit.
On July 6, 2022, Kundananji and three other teammates, including striker Barbra Banda, were declared ineligible to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, a World Cup-qualifying tournament, for Zambia.
This decision was made after a gender verification test revealed that their natural testosterone levels exceeded the limits set by the Confederation of African Football, which had stricter regulations compared to the Olympics.
This ruling caused significant controversy, with Human Rights Watch condemning it as a violation of human rights.
On July 1, 2023, Kundananji scored a goal and assisted in Zambia’s 3-3 draw against Switzerland, who were ranked 20th by FIFA.
Just two days later, she was selected to be part of Zambia’s team for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, which will be held in New Zealand and Australia.
Few days after that, she scored a goal in a surprising 3-2 victory against Germany, who are two-time World Cup champions.
PERSONAL LIFE
Racheal Kundananji is currently single and has chosen to maintain her privacy when it comes to her personal life, hence no information about her romantic relationships is available online.
