Zambia national team forward Racheal Kundananji has joined Chicago Stars FC from Bay FC in a deal worth 700,000 US dollars in intra-league transfer funds, running through the 2027 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) season.
Kundananji becomes the first signing under Chicago Stars Chief Soccer Officer Vlatko Andonovski, who has described the Zambian international as a proven goal scorer and fierce competitor.
The 28-year-old joins Chicago after three seasons with Bay FC, where she made 63 regular-season appearances, scoring 12 goals and providing 11 assists to become the club’s all-time leading scorer.
Before moving to the United States in 2024, Kundananji played for Spanish side Madrid CFF, where she finished second in the league’s scoring charts with 25 goals in her debut season.
At international level, Kundananji has established herself as one of Zambia’s leading forwards. She scored at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and netted twice against Australia at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
In 2025, she scored nine goals for Zambia and helped the Copper Queens reach the WAFCON quarter-finals.
Kundananji also helped Zambia win the 2026 Four Nations tournament and scored against Egypt at the 2026 WAFCON.
She is currently with the Copper Queens for their 2028 Olympic qualifying campaign against Uganda before joining Chicago Stars for their home match against Seattle Reign FC on October 18
By Canaan Siame
