Kundananji makes African football history with world-record transfer

Robin Bairner

• 14 Feb 2024 04:31 CST
• 3 min read

Racheal Kundananji is the most expensive women’s footballer in history after smashing the previous record with a €804,000 move from Madrid CFF to Bay FC.

The 23-year-old has surpassed the potential €500,000 deal that Chelsea agreed with Levante for Colombia striker Mayra Ramirez in January and the €468,000 that Barcelona paid Manchester City for Keira Walsh in 2022.

In doing so, she has become the first African footballer to break a world transfer record.

“People in Zambia will be surprised but they will be so happy,” Kundananji told BBC Sport Africa.

“I want to give the [Bay FC] fans what they want - to enjoy the games, to enjoy seeing me playing and scoring.”

She has signed a four-year contract with the San Franscico-based outfit, while there is the option for an additional season.

Women's transfer spending on the rise

Kundananji, 23, has already experienced a varied career, having started with Indeni Roses in Zambia’s Copperbelt Women League.

From there, she moved to Kazakhstan at the age of 18, where she played with BIIK Kazygurt from 2019 until 2021.

Kundananji, who has 10 goals in 18 appearances for Zambia, has since been in Spain, playing first for Eibar before transferring to Madrid CFF in 2022. In the capital, she scored 33 times in 43 domestic league games.

Now she is the marquee player for Bay FC, an expansion club that will will play in the National Women’s Soccer League for the first time this year. She will notably be joined by Scotland defender Jen Beattie, who joined the club from Arsenal earlier this year.

Kundananji’s move continues a trend of increased spending in the women’s game.

FIFA has reported that total transfer fees increased to €1.96m ($2.1m) in January 2024, which was more than double the spending in the same period of 2023.