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2023 Women's World Cup

Racheal Kundananji is ready to lead by example for young girls in Zambia

Photo of Racheal Kundananji celebrating after scoring a goal for her club Madrid CFF.
Kundananji celebrates after scoring a game-winning goal for Madrid CFF back in April (Madrid CFF Twitter Account)

Racheal Kundananji took Liga F by storm last season with her adept and lethal goal-scoring skills which left defenders sunken and disheveled. 

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“Seeing other Africans in the other leagues doing their best, pushed me to also do the same,” she told The Equalizer. “There are some players I admire and most of them talk to me and tell me to keep on working hard and never give up.”

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Kundananji finished second on the top-scorer list of Liga F, with 25 goals to her name — only three goals shy of Levante’s Alba Redondo. She etched her name in Liga F history after ending Barca Femeni’s 64-game unbeaten run and would be counting on that moxie against “big teams” in the World Cup. 

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Her partnership with Barbara Banda and Grace Chanda will prove pivotal in keeping Zambia’s dreams alive of making a mark as debutants in this Women’s World Cup.

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Her Roots in Kalulushi

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Kundananji grew up in Kalulushi, which is located in the country’s Copperbelt Province, with her mother. Despite the constant relocations around the country, she still enjoyed playing football with boys, a term referred to as “Kampombwa” in Zambia.

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Due to the sparse media coverage of women’s football, she “never knew there was women’s football in Zambia” she told The Equalizer.  

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