Orlando Pride
2025 Orlando Pride Season in Review: Grace Chanda
The Orlando Pride signed Zambian international midfielder Grace Chanda on May 30, 2024 to a contract through the 2025 season with a mutual option for 2026. The plan was for Chanda to join her Zambian teammate Barbra Banda after the Summer Olympics and add something to the Pride’s attack. That plan took a hit when Chanda suffered a ruptured quadriceps muscle and the club placed her on the Season-Ending Injury list.
Chanda made her return to the pitch in 2025, but she never found her way into the regular rotation, settling mostly for some late substitute appearances in NWSL play, making her Pride debut on April 19 and playing five minutes in a home loss to the Washington Spirit.
She got a few starts in the Concacaf W Champions Cup, in which she was moved primarily to fullback. Chanda’s inexperience in that position showed during those matches in international competition.
Let’s take a look back at Chanda’s second season as a member of the Pride but her first seeing the pitch.
Statistical Breakdown
Chanda did not play in the season-opening NWSL Challenge Cup match against the Washington Spirit or in the two playoff games, but she made four appearances in the regular season (all off the bench) and logged a total of just 36 minutes without a goal contribution and without putting a shot attempt on target in three attempts. She completed 14 of her 19 passes (73.7%) but did not record a key pass or attempt a cross or a long ball on the season. Defensively, the Zambian midfielder contributed one tackle and one interception but no blocks or clearances in her limited action. She committed two fouls, did not draw any on her opponents, and she was not booked in her first four NWSL games.
The 28-year-old native of Lusaka, Zambia appeared in three matches in the Concacaf W Champions Cup (all starts) and played all 270 available minutes in those games. She did not register a goal contribution, taking seven shots and putting three on target. She completed 78 of her 100 passes (78%) without a key pass. On the defensive end, Chanda contributed 14 tackles in the tournament. She committed five fouls, drew three on her opponents, and was not booked in the competition.
Best Game
With so little play in the regular season, Chanda’s best game had to come in one of her Concacaf W Champions Cup starts. She was playing out of position and against weaker competition in the first two matches against Alajuelense and Chorrillo FC, but she had some nice moments. I’ll go with her first start in the Pride’s 3-0 home win against LD Alajuelense on Sept. 2. Chanda started at left back and went the full 90 minutes. Although she didn’t score or assist on a goal, she attempted a season-high five shots and put a season-high two on target in the match. Her passing was on point, as she completed 37 of 41 for a sparkling 90.2%. As she was tasked with defending, her four tackles in the match were helpful and made up nearly a fourth of the Pride’s total as a team (17). She played with a bit of bite as well, committing two fouls while drawing one on her opponents. It was a promising outing.
2025 Final Grade
With just 306 total minutes played across all competitions, Chanda did not achieve the minimum of 400 total minutes required for The Mane Land staff to give her a grade for the season. We will therefore have to give the Zambian international an incomplete grade for the 2025 season.
2026 Outlook
While her lack of use spoke to either not getting back to full fitness or lack of trust by the coaching staff, the club surprisingly announced on June 27 that her mutual option for 2026 was picked up. Chanda will therefore be back with the Pride in 2026 unless she is loaned out or transfers out entirely. Based on her time at fullback, there might be further attempts to develop her in that role, but she doesn’t seem likely to break into the starting lineup in the attacking midfield. That said, if fitness was still an issue in 2025 upon her return from a difficult injury, she may yet still be able to seize a role in the regular rotation. She’ll need to be more physical in and around the penalty area and get her shots off more quickly. At 28 (she’ll be 29 in June), I don’t expect a big role for Chanda in 2026 unless she’s capable of a lot more that we haven’t seen yet, but preseason camp always offers new opportunities to impress.