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Isa Kardinaal joins London City Lionesses
- ariannamottaghi
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
LCL are proud to announce that 20-year-old defender Isa Kardinaal joins London City Lionesses from AFC Ajax, arriving as one of the most exciting young prospects in European football.
As a central defender, Kardinaal is known for her tactical intelligence, discipline and aerial strength. She can also operate as a full-back when required, adding invaluable flexibility to the defensive unit. In the 2024/25 season, she posted standout stats, winning 70% of her aerial duels and boasting a tackle accuracy of 73%.
Born in Amsterdam, Kardinaal came through the youth system at Ajax, where she positioned herself as a key figure in the backline. She made her senior debut in the Eredivisie at just 16 years old in a 2–0 win over Excelsior Barendrecht in November 2021.
Since then, she’s gone on to make over 50 senior appearances for the club across the Eredivisie, KNVB Cup, Super Cup and UEFA Women’s Champions League, including helping Ajax lift the Eredivisie title in 2022/23. She was also player of the last season at Ajax.
On the international stage, Kardinaal has represented the Netherlands at every youth level, playing in Oranje’s U-15s to U-23s, so far earning over 10 caps with the latter.
Head Coach Jocelyn Prêcheur:
“We played against each other and talked a lot at the end of the season. Isa is exactly the profile of player I want to build this team with; she is young, talented and already has a lot of experience. I am very satisfied that she has joined us, and I am looking forward to working with her in the future.”
Kardinaal:
“My first impressions are very, very good, I feel very welcome and everyone is nice. It’s been great, I have already played a lot of games for Ajax, and this was the right time for a new step in my career. The WSL is the biggest competition for me, so this was the right moment.
I’m looking forward to playing against the biggest teams and the best players in such high competitions with high intensity. There are a lot of things I am excited for on and off the pitch, I am looking forward to meeting my teammates and getting to know everyone. I’m looking forward to meeting the fans and hopefully we can make a beautiful season.”
See Isa in WSL action
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