Zambia forward Racheal Kundananj's journey to breaking world transfer record
World record transfer fees always come with a story, and Rachael Kundananji is no exception.
The Zambia forward was, only six years ago, gracing the Zambian Copperbelt Province pitches. Now, she will line up against Arsenal legend Jen Beattie and former Barcelona star Asisat Oshoala for a burgeoning NWSL side attempting to write its name in the history books, with a record $860,000 (£685,000) transfer fee to boot.
The fee eclipses that set by Keira Walsh in 2022, when Barcelona forked out £400,000 for the then-Manchester City star. Not only does the move make Kundananji the most expensive women's football in history, but the first African player, male or female, to break a world transfer record.
It's a prodigious ascent to the top for the 23-year-old, though if anyone had spotted her prolific spell in Madrid over the last 18-months or in Zambia's historic Women's World Cup showing, a move of this scale was destined. In 43 Liga F games, Kundananji, a powerful and unflagging forward, scored a staggering 33.
Kundananji has been hailed for her raw speed and threat in front of goal, but in recent years she's honed a tactical awareness and physicality in her game that has seen her develop into a more consistent threat. A Chelsea fan, the likes of Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard are cited as player role models of hers.
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For some in Kundananji's homeland, the fact she is shattering records already is to expected. "A lot of people have encouraged me to work hard and some even said 'maybe one day you'll break some records'," Kundananji told BBC Sport Africa.
The journey to this place, though, has been entwined with trials and sacrifice.
In Zambia, Kundananji, like many of the women's games biggest stars, would spend her days playing football with the local boys but their balls were improvised creations made out of plastic and cotton from flour sacks. She would do so while her mum worked in one of Zambia's myriad copper mines, a physically exacting task.
Racheal Kundananji scored 33 goals in 43 games in Liga F before moving to Bay FC (Photo by Diego Souto/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)Kundananji's football exploits were kept secret from her family, claiming she was going to a friend's house instead. Upon discovering her secret, her family allowed her to continue, assuming the sport would never evolve beyond that of a childhood pastime, a common if not typical reaction to girls playing football in Africa.
What the new Bay FC recruit is hoping to do is break this default response. "What I really want to say to girls is that they just need to follow their dreams and do what they love doing. Many of our parents will force us to do what we don't love but then we end up with regrets," she said.
"Choose your own path and work hard; then, as time goes on, your parents will support you."
Reaching San Francisco has required a show of courage from the Zambia international. In 2019 at 18-years-old, she left Zambia's Indeni Roses for BIIK Kazygurt, the biggest women's club in Kazakhstan. The shift in lifestyle and demand was significant, but the earnings of $1,500 per month, and free accommodation, was more than worth it.
Racheal Kundananji is the most expensive women's footballer in the world (Photo by Hannah Peters - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)Two years on, Liga F became her new stomping ground with Eibar, but it took little time before her calibre was spotted by other sides, including Madrid FCC, where Kundananji has since made a name for herself.
Bay FC, formed by ex-USWNT and professional club players Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne, Danielle Slaton, and Aly Wagner last year, have recruited well in the January transfer window with the likes of Beattie, Oshoala, Deyna Castellanos and now Kundananji.
The expectations on Kundananji will be steep following her world-record move. But the striker seems to handle pressure just fine. It was Kundananji who helped her country to their first-ever victory in the Women's World Cup in a 3-1 win over Costa Rica after incurring successive 5-0 defeats at the hands of Japan and eventual winners Spain.
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"This is the first [record] and I know there are more coming," she said. "I will do my level best and fight every time I play, like I always do. I want to give the [Bay FC] fans what they want - to enjoy the games, to enjoy seeing me playing and scoring."
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