On 13th February, media reports broke out on the most expensive women’s football transfer in history. Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji became the most expensive women’s footballer in history after joining Bay FC from Madrid CFF for $860,000 (£685,000). As with other transfers, Kundananji’s move did not emerge in isolation. The Zambian forward reportedly scored 33 goals in 43 Liga F games for Madrid. The transfer is a four-year agreement with Bay FC, the American club. Kundananji will be joining the club which will be making their National Women’s Soccer League debut this year.
At 23, Kundananji became the first African player in both male or female categories to break a world transfer record. This record follows other players such as England midfielder Keira Walsh (£400,000, 2022) and Colombia striker Mayra Ramirez (£426,600, 2022). Kundananji’s path to breaking the women’s transfer record should be seen as the emerging potential of African women in football. Kundananji began her career in Zambia with Indeni Roses. She joined BIIK Kazygurt in Kazakhstan in 2019. At BIIK, she played in the Women’s Champions League. In 2021, she joined the Spanish top-flight side Eibar and scored eight league goals in one season, earning her move to Madrid. It is here that Kundananji scored 25 goals in 29 league games to help Madrid CFF to a fifth-place finish, the best in their history. She scored another eight goals in 14 league matches. That is not all. Kundananji also played – and scored – at the 2023 Women’s World Cup and has 10 goals in 18 games for Zambia.
Kundananji’s transfer isn’t a surprise to many that follow Zambian football, but it is worth our reflections. The transfer shows the potential for Zambian women’s football to reach greater heights. These are testimonies that with good investments, Zambia’s women’s football can be a force to reckon with. There are young girls that are looking for opportunities to break away from poverty and underdevelopment and are seeking spaces where they can freely express themselves. Sports have historically been advanced as such important spaces. There are opportunities for expanding the industry in Zambia. This calls for deliberate effort by the government to invest in sporting facilities in Zambia. The business community can be mobilized in such a way that a clear pathway for private sector investments in women’s football can be realized.
We know that the state in Zambia has not been the same since the 1990s. The state has fundamentally scaled down its investment in social activities. Whereas this might make governance sense, actual realities show that the state is still important in social expenditure and in facilitating sporting objectives. The mandate of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) should be clear, and its mandate expanded and consolidated for this purpose.
We can only wish Kundananji all the best! After Zambia ku Chalo.
