Bay FC head coach Emma Coates was pleased to see star forward Racheal Kundananji back on the PayPal Park pitch on Friday, but despite praise from her skipper, there needs to be improvement in her game.
Kundananji is one of the few remaining players from Bay FC’s inaugural team in 2024, but she’s never quite lived up to expectations. She has all the tools for success but she’s rarely able to find the back of the net in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) despite being a prolific goal scorer during her time with Madrid CFF and with the Zambian National Team.
Praise From Coates
Kundananji returned to the pitch for Bay FC last week after missing a considerable amount of time due to international duty and an injury suffered during international duty. She played 22 minutes against the Washington Spirit on the road, then 18 more against the Kansas City Current on Friday.
“I thought when she came on, [Kundananji was a] good threat and [had] opportunities,” Coates said in a post-match media availability after Friday’s game. “We had the counterattack on the left-hand side, a couple times [with her] running with the ball We’re still building her up. That’s the second hamstring injury this season. So again, we’ve been really careful with how we build her up. Obviously, we were disappointed that she came back from the tournament with that injury. But it’s nice to be able to get her back on the pitch and just start building her back in.”
Expectations Remain Unmet
Bay FC brought Kundananji into the mix prior to their inaugural season for a then world-record transfer fee of $785,000 as reported by The Athletic at the time of the deal.
On paper, bringing Kundananji to the team seemed like a great move that would give them an elite attacking option for years to come. Players like Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga were able to adapt to the NWSL, but Kundananji hasn’t done the same despite being a prolific goal scorer during her time in Spain’s Liga F.
With Madrid, Kundananji was able to score 33 goals in just 43 games. While Liga F is typically seen as a weaker league than the NWSL, and for good reason, there was still some strong competition, namely FC Barcelona who are widely considered the best women’s soccer team in the world.
The duo of Kundananji and Asisat Oshoala showed some signs of success in Bay FC’s first season, but they often seemed to get in each other’s way and once Oshoala was sold to Al-Hilal in the Saudi Women’s Premier League, it seemed Kundananji was given the reins.
Despite this, Kundananji hasn’t shown many signs of improvement since joining the organization at 23 years of age. Now 26, she has just 11 goals in 58 appearances for Bay FC. She generates chances and her speed is an intimidating aspect of the game for her opposition, but she simply doesn’t score enough to justify a long-term role without major improvements moving forward.
Kundananji is a fan favorite at PayPal Park and her teammates seem to love her energy as well, but Bay FC need a lethal striker and she doesn’t seem to have that ability at this level.
Bay FC Glad Racheal Kundananji is Back, But Need More From Her