The Elite Ladies FC have parted ways with striker Wendy Choonga Mwiikisa after reaching a mutual separation agreement with the player, bringing an amicable end to her time at the club.
The agreement releases Mwiikisa from the remaining obligations of her original contract and allows the forward to leave the club as a free agent.
The Elite Ladies say the agreement also settles the contractual relationship between the two parties, with neither side holding further obligations arising from the original deal.
Mwiikisa joined The Elite Ladies in January 2025 from MuSports Queens Academy in Choma on a three-year contract and quickly established herself as one of the club’s most important attacking players.
Despite it being her first season in the Zambian women’s top-flight system, Mwiikisa made an immediate impact after stepping up from the Choma-based academy.
She made her full debut against Red Arrows Women’s FC in February 2025, scoring to bring The Elite level after finding the side netting beyond Copper Queens goalkeeper Catherine Musonda.
Mwiikisa appeared to have completed a memorable debut with a second goal later in the match, only for the effort to be ruled out for offside.
She did not have to wait long for her next goals, scoring twice against Indeni Roses in Ndola in her following appearance.
The forward continued her impressive run against Choma Warriors and then found the net in The Elite’s Lusaka derby victory over Green Eagles Women.
Mwiikisa eventually finished the campaign with seven league goals, scoring against Red Arrows, Choma Warriors, Green Eagles, Indeni Roses, Trident Queens and YASA Queens.
Her goalscoring run was particularly notable, with the teenager finding the net in five consecutive league matches.
That form helped establish Mwiikisa as one of the emerging young attacking talents in Zambian women’s football and earned her a call-up to the Zambia Under-17 women’s national team.
However, her international breakthrough was interrupted by injury while on national duty, ruling her out of the 2025 FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
The injury required a lengthy rehabilitation programme, including physiotherapy and hydrotherapy, before Mwiikisa eventually returned to competitive action.
She subsequently made several appearances for The Elite Ladies, including league matches against Green Buffaloes Women’s FC and Konkola Blades Queens FC.
The striker’s development has also attracted attention because of her footballing background. She is the daughter of former Zambia international striker Lineker Mwiikisa.
The Elite Ladies say the original transfer from MuSports Queens Academy was valued at K25,000, comprising K15,000 in transfer fees and a K10,000 signing-on fee, with the club stating that the transfer fee was paid in full.
The club also says MuSports received footballs valued at K12,000 and a set of jerseys worth K8,000 in addition to the cash transfer payment.
Mwiikisa now enters the transfer market as a free agent and will be able to negotiate with other clubs as she begins the next chapter of her career.
At a young age, she has already experienced the demands of top-flight football, international youth football and a significant injury setback. Her departure from The Elite Ladies marks the end of one stage of her development and the beginning of another.
