At 40, Racheal Nachula has become the oldest goalscorer in the history of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. The veteran striker, who was Zambia’s flag bearer for the closing ceremony at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, has etched her name in the history books.
There is no doubt that Nachula is aging like fine wine. Age simply seems to be a myth in her universe. On Tuesday evening, at the Rabat Olympic Stadium, the Zambian striker needed only 25 minutes to secure a place in the highest echelons of African Football.
This extraordinary trajectory is mindboggling. Before racking up goals, Nachula recorded enhe 2008 African Championships, and eventually a semi-finalist at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, Nachula had the honour of carrying the Zambian flag at the closing ceremony
The sprinter seemed destined for a bright future on the track. That was without taking into account her enduring passion for the beautiful game, long suppressed by her mother who was concerned about the balance between her sporting ambitions and her studies.
Nachula’s big leap came in 2016. At 30, an age when many are heading towards retirement from active sport, she made the bold move and traded her spikes for cleats. A winning gamble.
A Zambian champion with the Green Buffaloes, she moved to Europe and featured for Zaragoza CFF in Spain before joining Hapoel Katamon Jerusalem in Israel. This experience was crucial to her becoming a key and reliable player for the Copper Queens.
The pinnacle of this dual life? Tokyo 2020 then the Paris 2024 Olympics. Thirteen years after representing her nation at the iconic Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing in athletic gear, she experienced the Olympic atmosphere again, this time wearing the Zambian green jersey on the soccer fields in France. A truly rare conversion at the highest level of international competitions as she became Zambia’s first two-sport Olympian.
This extraordinary trajectory is mindboggling. Before racking up goals, Nachula recorded quite a number of commendable achievements on the track.
A rare feat at the highest international level. In Morocco at the WAFCON 2026, Nachula shares the title of the oldest player in the tournament with Mali’s Fatoumata Diarra. One figure sums up the generation gap – 25 years separate her from the youngest player in the competition. But on the pitch, the difference is invisible.
“She always runs more than everyone else.”
In the corridors of the Rabat Olympic Stadium, her coach, Nora Häuptle (42), was savouring the moment after the match: “During our last intermittent endurance test, Racheal finished ahead of everyone. At over 40 years old! It is the ultimate proof that she still has incredible legs.”
Deployed on the right wing to support the attacking duo of Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji, Nachula covered a lot of ground before forcing the Egyptian defense to make a mistake that led to the penalty that opened the scoring.
“Her composure in that play speaks volumes about her leadership. She is an exemplary player for our youngsters,” added the Swiss coach. From lane four of an athletics track to the penalty areas of the continent, Nachula continues to push the boundaries of longevity. A lesson in passion, tested by time.
