Orlando Pride
Grace Chanda Out for the Season with a Ruptured Quadriceps Tendon
The Pride’s big summer arrival won’t be available for the team’s stretch run due to an injury the midfielder suffered on international duty.
The excitment of Zambia international midfielder Grace Chanda bolstering the Orlando Pride’s attack after the Olympic break has been crushed, as the club has placed the midfielder on the season-ending injury list with a ruptured quadriceps tendon. The injury took place while Chanda was on international duty at the Olympics with Zambia. Chanda’s Pride season is over before it began, as she was scheduled to join the team following Zambia’s Olympic run.
“We are incredibly disappointed for Grace at this injury and how it occurred,” Orlando Pride Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager Haley Carter said in a club press release. “Fortunately, she is under the best possible care with our medical and performance teams here at the club and through Orlando Health. While her debut in purple will be later than planned, it’s imperative we prioritize her health and welfare through a safe and responsible return to the pitch. We’re behind Grace every step of the way and will support her throughout the entire recovery process. With our investment, resources, and performance environment, Grace will come out of this stronger and ready to make an impact in 2025.”
Carter’s thoughts on the injury and how Zambia’s federation handled it were a bit more scathing on social media.
The Pride signed Chanda through the 2025 NWSL season on May 30. She arrived in Orlando shortly before the Olympic break, but the plan was always to have her start competing with the team following Zambia’s run in the tournament in France. Now that will be pushed back a bit.
After a successful stint in Zambia’s top division — the FAZ Women’s League — Chanda moved to BIIK Kazgurt of the Kazakhstan Championship in 2022. She netted a hat trick in her UEFA Women’s Champions League debut on Aug. 18, 2022, becoming the first Zambian to play in the competition. A month after the game, she signed with Madrid CFF, one of the most successful teams in the Spanish top division. Her play in 2022 saw Chanda named an African Women’s Footballer of the Year finalist.
During her first season in Spain, Chanda played in 26 games with 11 starts, recording 1,137 minutes, three goals, and two assists. In July 2023, Chanda was ruled out of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup due to an illness, which caused her to also miss the majority of the Liga F season. She only ended up playing the final two games of the season, recording 19 minutes and scoring a goal.
With Chanda unavailable, the Pride will either have to sign another attacking threat to help cover the gap or try to push through with the roster as it stands, while teams around the NWSL are making big signings to try to knock Orlando out of the league’s top spot.