NWSL expansion team Bay FC signs Zambian forward Racheal Kundananji

By ANNE M. PETERSON
AP Sports Writer

National Women’s Soccer League expansion team Bay FC paid a record transfer fee to sign Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji on Tuesday to a four-year deal with an option for a fifth year.

A person familiar with the deal said Kundananji was acquired from Spanish club Madrid CFF in exchange for a transfer fee of $788,000. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the transaction.

Bay FC, based in the San Francisco Bay Area, begins play in the NWSL this year as the league’s 14th team. The regular season starts on March 16.

Kundananji played for Zambia in last year’s Women’s World Cup. Overall, she has 10 goals in 18 games with her national team.

She had 33 goals in 43 Liga F games since joining Madrid CFF in 2022.

“Racheal has a composure in-front of goal and a natural ability to score with different types of finishes and from various locations,” Bay FC general manager Lucy Rushton said in a statement. “We believe she will continue to grow and develop at our club, showcasing her skillset and adding to the array of exciting attacking talent we have here.”

Kundananji arrived at Madrid CFF from Sociedad Deportiva Eibar and quickly became one of the club’s top players.

“(She) improved with our club to become a great forward and we hope for the best in her next professional adventure,” the Spanish club said. “Madrid CFF once again demonstrates that it is one of the best clubs in attracting and incubating talent and will continue working with that goal in the future.”

Kundananji’s arrival with the team is pending the approval of her visa and international transfer certificate.

The transfer tops the reported fee of nearly $500,000 that Chelsea paid last month for Maya Ramirez paid to Spanish club Levante.

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