Copper Queens forward, Grace Chanda was officially unveiled by her new club, Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League in the USA on Monday.
A deal for the 2025 season, with a mutual option for 2026, was reached in May of this year between Orlando Pride and Zambian international Grace Chanda.
Following her unveiling, she expressed her joy at joining Orlando Pride and pledged to live up to the team’s expectations.
“I’m so happy to join Orlando because it is a big team, and it is a good opportunity for me, and it is a good advantage because my teammate Barbara Banda is here. We are from the same country, and we play together at the national team so I’m so happy and I look forward to do better here and learn more.”
Chanda, who previously played for Spain’s Madrid CFF in Liga F was among three players shortlisted for the 2022 African Women’s Footballer of the Year award.
“Grace had a break-out year in 2022, proving what she is capable of, and we’ve had our eye on her since the buildup to the Women’s World Cup last summer,” said Orlando Pride VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter.
Grace to reunite with Barbra in Orlando
She said: “The facilities are nice, I love everything. The teammates, the coaches the staff, everything I like it and I’m so happy to be here. Barbara has told me a few things about the clubs, the teammates are nice, they can teach me more things and I can do some good things with the team and the officials.”
Grace will now head to the Paris Olympic games to join the rest of the Copper Queens captained by her Orlando Pride teammate, Barbara Banda.
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“It’s good for the team to have six players going for the Olympics. It is a big achievement for the club, so we have to go and do better for our club to be happy by producing good performances. The club is working hard, and it has to be proud of us because we are going there to represent the club, so we are so happy, and we just have to go there and work extra hard.”
