Personal information | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | [1] | 11 June 1997|||||||||||||
Place of birth | Zambia | |||||||||||||
Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder | |||||||||||||
Team information | ||||||||||||||
Current team | Orlando Pride | |||||||||||||
Number | 23 | |||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
2015–2020 | ZESCO United | 26+ | (86+) | |||||||||||
2021 | Red Arrows | ? | (35) | |||||||||||
2022 | BIIK Kazygurt | ? | (?) | |||||||||||
2022–2024 | Madrid CFF | 28 | (4) | |||||||||||
2024– | Orlando Pride | 0 | (0) | |||||||||||
International career‡ | ||||||||||||||
2014 | Zambia U17 | 3 | (1) | |||||||||||
2018– | Zambia | 31 | (19) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 30 June 2023 |
Grace Chanda (born 11 June 1997) is a Zambian professional football midfielder who plays for the Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Zambia national team.
Chanda previously played in her native Zambia with ZESCO United and the Red Arrows, as well as in Kazakhstan with BIIK Kazygurt and in Spain for Madrid CFF. She was one of three players shortlisted for African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2022.
In 2018, Chanda scored 86 goals in 26 games for ZESCO United. [2]
Ahead of the newly created FAZ Women's Super Division national championship in 2021, Chanda signed for Red Arrows. [3] Red Arrows finished second behind Green Buffaloes but individually Chanda won the golden boot for the 2021 season, scoring 35 goals in total, and was named FAZ Women's Player of the Year. [4]
In March 2022, Chanda signed with BIIK Kazygurt of the Kazakhstani Championship. [5] On August 18, 2022, she scored a hat-trick on her UEFA Women's Champions League debut in a 5–1 victory over ŽNK Split during the 2022–23 UEFA Women's Champions League qualifying stage. [2] She was the first Zambian women's footballer to do so. [2]
On September 3, 2022, Chanda signed with Madrid CFF in Spain's top division Liga F on a two-year contract. [6] She made her debut on September 24 during a 3–1 win against FC Levante Las Planas. [7] In October, she scored a goal and provided an assist to help lift Madrid to a 4–0 win over Real Betis. [8] [9] During the team's match against Atlético Madrid, she scored the equalizer goal after subbing in at the half resulting in a 1–1 draw. [9] She finished the 2022–23 season with three goals and two assists. [10] Madrid finished in fifth place. [11] Chanda spent the majority of the 2023–24 season sidelined having been taken ill at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in July 2023. She remained in hospital in New Zealand throughout August, eventually returning to light training with Madrid in September although did not return to playing until May 2024. [12]
On May 30, 2024, Orlando Pride of the National Women's Soccer League announced the signing of Chanda as a free agent until 2025 with an option for 2026. She was scheduled to join the club following the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympics. [13] However, she was placed on the Season Ending Injury list in August after suffering a ruptured quadriceps tendon in her right leg while on international duty. [14] Orlando filed a grievance with FIFA against the Football Association of Zambia for "failing to provide a reasonable standard of care for player health and safety" after Chanda was asked to continue training and playing during Zambia's opening match of the Olympics while injured. [15]
Chanda represented Zambia at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations and 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations. [1] [16]
Chanda was the top goalscorer with eight goals at the 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Olympic-qualifying tournament for Africa [17] and helped Zambia qualify for their first Olympics. [18]
Chanda was one of three players shortlisted for African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2022. [19]
On the eve of Zambia's FIFA Women's World Cup debut in July 2023, Chanda was ruled out of the tournament with illness. [20]
Chanda notes American striker Alex Morgan as a football idol. [18]
International goals
Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first
BIIK Kazygurt
Zambia
Individual
Marta Vieira da Silva, known mononymously as Marta, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and formerly, the Brazil national team. Marta is widely regarded as the greatest female footballer of all time. She has been named FIFA World Player of the Year six times, five of them being consecutive and the latest award coming in 2018.
Emily Louise van Egmond is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Australia national team. She previously played for German side 1. FFC Frankfurt and VfL Wolfsburg in the Bundesliga, Danish side Fortuna Hjørring in the Elitedivisionen, Chicago Red Stars and Orlando Pride in the NWSL, West Ham United in the FA Women's Super League, as well as Canberra United, Western Sydney Wanderers, Newcastle Jets and Melbourne City in Australia's W-League.
The Zambia women's national association football team represents Zambia in association football, participating in qualifying tournaments for the FIFA Women's World Cup and other African-based competitions. It made its debut in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, becoming the first landlocked nation in Africa to qualify for a senior World Cup in either men's or women's soccer.
Refiloe Jane is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder as captain for the South African women's national team. She is currently a free agent having most recently played for Italian Serie A club US Sassuolo.
Asisat Lamina OshoalaMON is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Bay FC and the Nigeria women's national team. She is widely regarded as one of the best female players in women's football and her generation. She is one of the most celebrated African female footballers of all time, having won African Women's Footballer of the Year a record six times.
Osinachi Marvis Ohale is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a centre back or right back for Liga MX Femenil club Pachuca and the Nigeria women's national team.
Mônica Hickmann Alves, commonly known as Mônica, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Spanish Liga F club Madrid CFF and the Brazil national team. She participated in the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups and the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Evelyn Nwabuoku is a Nigerian footballer who plays as a midfielder for En Avant de Guingamp in the French Division 1 Féminine and the Nigeria women's national football team. She is the captain of the national side. Nwabuoku played previously for BIIK Kazygurt in the Kazakhstani women's football championship and for Bayelsa Queens and Rivers Angels in the Nigerian Women's Championship.
Jermaine "Jay" Seoposenwe is a South African soccer player who plays as a forward for Mexican Liga MX Femenil club Monterrey and the South Africa women's national team.
Christina Thembi "Pikinini" Kgatlana is a South African professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Liga MX Femenil club Tigres UANL Femenil and the South Africa women's national team.
Achraf Hakimi Mouh is a professional footballer who plays as a right-back or right winger for Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain and the Morocco national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best full-backs in the world.
Misozi Chisha Rachael Zulu is a Zambian footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Turkish Women's Super League club Hakkarigücü Spor and the Zambia women's national team.
Racheal Kundananji is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club Bay FC and the Zambia national team.
Ireen Lungu is a Zambian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Jiangsu Wuxi and the Zambia women's national team.
Barbra Banda is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a striker for National Women's Soccer League club Orlando Pride and captains the Zambia national team.
Hellen Ng'andwe Chanda is a Zambian footballer who plays as a forward for Green Buffaloes FC and the Zambia women's national team. She competed at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations, playing in one match.
Prisca Chilufya is a Zambian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga MX Femenil side FC Juárez and the Zambia women's national team.
Ghizlane Chebbak is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a forward for Liga F club Levante Badalona and the Morocco women's national team. She was named the player of the tournament in the 2022 Africa Women's Cup of Nations. She is the daughter of Larbi Chebbak, a player for the Morocco men's national team in the 1970s.
Michelle Chinwendu Alozie is a professional footballer who plays as a forward for National Women's Soccer League club Houston Dash. Born in the United States, she represents Nigeria at international level.
Zineb Redouani is a Moroccan professional footballer who plays as a defender for AS FAR and the Morocco women's national team.