…Kundananji says after bagging the GOAL50 Award
By MICHAEL MIYOBA
COPPER Queens forward Rachel Kundananji says winning the GOAL50 Award is testament that with hard work a person can achieve anything in the world.
On Tuesday, Kundananji and Lionel Messi were crowned winners of the 2023 Goal50 Award, coming out on top after a series of head-to-head battles voted on by fans across the globe.
The Copper Queens striker beat competition from Barcelona forward Asitat Oshoala who is fresh from winning the African Player of the Year award and was voted second best on the Goal50 list while Real Madrid female star Linda Caicedo was voted third best.
Speaking in an interview in Lusaka, Kundananji, who scored 25 times in 29 appearances to help Madrid CFF finish fifth said she was proud to have scooped the prestigious award.
“This means a lot to me. It means that everything is possible all we need to do is to believe in ourselves and work hard every day,” Kundananji said.
The Madrid CFF star who scored as her team defeated champions Barcelona and ended the Catalans’ 64-game unbeaten run encouraged youngsters who see her as a role model to believe in themselves and work hard to achieve their dreams.
“No one will believe in you but yourself. Do the best you can and make sure that you do not compete with anyone but yourself because you are your own competitor in this world. No matter how good others may be don’t worry, just perfect yourself everyday and work on your mistakes every day,” she said.
Kundananji who was sidelined for the CAF awards recently held in Morocco became the first African player ever to top the Goal50 list, men’s or women’s.
She ended Alexia Putella’s dominance after the Spaniard, a former Balloon D’or winner scooped back-to-back Goal50 awards in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
The Zambian international also got her first Women’s World Cup goal this year as Zambia claimed their maiden World Cup win after beating Costa Rica 3-1 with the other goals coming from Lushomo Mweemba and Barbra Banda.
