Copper Queens midfielder Evarine Susan Katongo has completed a move to Israeli Women’s Premier League side Hapoel Raanana Women’s Football Club, joining on a short-term loan from Green Buffaloes Women FC.
Raanana confirmed the signing of the 23-year-old Zambian international via their official social media platforms, hailing her experience and dynamism as key additions to their midfield.
In a statement, the club said:
“Ra’anana Women’s Football Club is pleased to announce the signing of midfielder Evarine Susan Katongo to the team.
Evarine (23) is a Zambian national team midfielder with 26 caps for the senior national team, including 18 starts. She was part of Zambia’s starting lineup at the most recent FIFA Women’s World Cup and also competed in the Olympic Games.
Evarine joins us from the Zambian champions and will add speed and dynamism to our midfield. We wish Evarine great success with the club.”
Katongo could make her debut on Thursday when Raanana take on Maccabi Hadera in a round 15 encounter in the Israeli Women’s Football League.
Raanana currently sit sixth with 16 points from 14 matches in the eight-team league.
The move marks Katongo’s first spell in Israeli football and the latest step in a career built on long-term development. Before turning professional, she spent a decade at Luyando Foundation Girls, where she played from the age of eight until 18, a formative period credited with shaping her technical base and game intelligence.
She later joined ZISD Women, before signing for Green Buffaloes Women FC in January 2024 following the expiry of her contract. At Buffaloes, she quickly established herself as a key midfield figure.
Katongo is regarded as one of Zambia’s most influential midfielders. She played a decisive role at the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, scoring a long-range strike in the third-place play-off against Nigeria as the Copper Queens secured a historic bronze medal.
A graduate of the Zambia Under-20 Women’s National Team, Katongo has enjoyed sustained success at both regional and global level. She has won the COSAFA Women’s Championship twice (2022 and 2024), helped Zambia to silver in 2023—delivering two Player of the Match performances—and featured prominently at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and the 2024 Olympic Games.
Her move to Raanana offers another opportunity to gain valuable overseas experience as she remains a central figure in Zambia’s senior national team set-up.
Hopefully she has not arrived! But this is a spring board to better clubs. She is a marvel to watch, surprised a move took too long.