Grace Chanda
Personal information | ||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | [1] | 11 June 1997|||||||||||||
Place of birth | Zambia | |||||||||||||
Height | 1.60 m (5 ft 3 in) | |||||||||||||
Position(s) | Midfielder, Forward | |||||||||||||
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
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*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 footballer who plays as a midfielder and forward for American National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) club Orlando Pride as well as the Zambia national team.
Chanda previously played in her native Zambia with ZESCO United and 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.
Club career
Early years
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]
BIIK Kazygurt, 2022
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]
Madrid CFF, 2022–2024
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]
Orlando Pride, 2024–
On May 30, 2024, Orlando Pride of the American National Women's Soccer League announced the signing of Chanda as a free agent until 2025 with an option-year for 2026. She is scheduled to join the club following the conclusion of the 2024 Paris Olympics.[13]
International career
Chanda represented Zambia at the 2018 Africa Women Cup of Nations and 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations.[1][14]
Chanda was the top goalscorer with eight goals at the 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the Olympic-qualifying tournament for Africa[15] and helped Zambia qualify for their first Olympics.[16]
Chanda was one of three players shortlisted for African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2022.[17]
On the eve of Zambia's FIFA Women's World Cup debut in July 2023, Chanda was ruled out of the tournament with illness.[18]
Personal life
Chanda notes American striker Alex Morgan as a football idol.[16]
Career statistics
International goals
Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first
Honours
BIIK Kazygurt
- Kazakhstani Championship: 2022
Zambia
- Women's Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2022
Individual
- Football Association of Zambia Women's Player of the Year: 2021[4]
- FAZ Women's Super Division golden boot: 2021[4]
- Women's Africa Cup of Nations Team of the Tournament: 2022[19]
- IFFHS CAF Women's Team of The Year: 2022[20]
See also
References
- ^ a b "Team Lists" (PDF). CAF. p. 8. Retrieved 22 November 2018.
- ^ a b c "Grace Chanda nets hat-trick on UWCL debut…First Zambian". Zambian Football. 18 August 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Grace Chanda targets a fantastic 2021". ZamFoot. 9 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Grace Chanda wins big at Women's Awards gala". ZamFoot. 26 November 2021.
- ^ "Grace Chanda starts life in Kazakhstan". ZamFoot. 28 March 2022.
- ^ "Grace Chanda joins Madrid CFF". Zambian Football. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Kundananji nets brace as Grace Chanda makes her debut". Zambian Football. 24 September 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Grace Chanda opens goal account as Kundananji nets brace". Zambian Football. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Grace Chanda comes from the bench to rescue a vital point for Madrid CFF". Zambian Football. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Grace Chanda". Playmaker Stats. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "2022/23 Primera División Femenina". Soccerway. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Chanda scores on Madrid CFF return". Zambia: News Diggers!. 14 May 2024.
- ^ "Orlando Pride signs Zambian international Grace Chanda". www.orlandocitysc.com.
- ^ https://zambianfootball.co.zm/grace-chanda-margaret-belemu-make-wafcon-best-11/
- ^ "Grace Chanda starts life in Kazakhstan". Zambian Football. 28 March 2022. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Chanda – The dream has not ended yet". CAF. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Grace Chanda thrilled by CAF Women's Player of the Year Award Nomination". FAZ TV. Retrieved 13 July 2023.
- ^ "Zambia suffer second blow ahead of World Cup debut". Reuters.
- ^ "CAF announces TotalEnergies Women's AFCON 2022 Best XI". CAF. 26 July 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ "IFFHS Women's CAF Team 2022". The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS). 31 January 2023. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
External links
- Grace Chanda at International Olympic Committee
- Grace Chanda at Global Sports Archive
- Grace Chanda at GOAL
- 1997 births
- Living people
- Zambian women's footballers
- Women's association football midfielders
- ZESCO United F.C. players
- Madrid CFF players
- Zambia women's international footballers
- Footballers at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers for Zambia
- Zambian expatriate women's footballers
- Zambian expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Expatriate women's footballers in Spain
- Orlando Pride players
- Zambian expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- Expatriate women's soccer players in the United States