It’s been a year in the making. The top 2024 prospect of the Orlando Pride didn’t get to play. But Grace Chanda is aimed at the pitch now.
Midfielder Grace Chanda is aimed at the Orlando Pride pitch for the 2025 season. Her team debut was delayed until this year due to an injury away from the home field.
She headed to the Olympics during the summer with Barbra Banda to play for the Zambia national team.
Somewhere during her Olympics experience, something went wrong. She was injured.
After medical attention, it was reported that she had ruptured the quadriceps tendon in her right leg. This ended Grace Chanda's participation in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
What’s more, that ended the 2024 season for her with the Orlando Pride. She had been destined for her team debut after the Olympics.
She was placed on the Season Ending Injury list. On her return to Orlando, Chanda began working with Pride’s medical team and partners at Orlando Health to outline her recovery and rehabilitation programming.
Then the team filed a grievance with FIFA against the Football Association of Zambia stating that the national federation failed to provide a reasonable standard of care for player health and safety on behalf of Grace Chanda. By their information, Chanda was asked to continue training and play in the opening match post-injury.
Even with this negative turn of events, Chanda proved herself. With her national team, she tallied 19 goals in 31 appearances. She was the first Zambian player to appear in the UEFA Champions League while playing for BIIK Kazygurt of the Kazakhstan Championship.
For Kazakhstan she scored a hat trick in her UEFA Women’s Champions League debut.
With those accomplishments, it’s no wonder that her debut has been one anxiously anticipated.
Grace Chanda has completed her program to recover from her injury and return to the pitch. She’s anxiously anticipating her debut, as well. She has a lot to show the Orlando Pride and supporters.