Kenza Dali is from Algeria, where her parents were born but fled when war broke out. Yamina, Dali’s mother, is a cancer survivor whose story Kenza presented in 2019. Kenza Dali, a French midfielder, was inspired to play soccer by her cousin. Lyon discovered the midfielder when he was 14 and he made his senior squad debut in 2009.
Kenza’s passion for soccer has taken her from France to England. The veteran, who spent most of her career with PSG, moved to England in 2019 to join West Ham United. The Aston Villa player is not the only one from North Africa on the French national squad. Sakina Karchaoui and Amel Majri are the two other players from North Africa in the current French team vying for World Cup gold.
Kenza Dali’s Origine and Parents
Kenza Dali has Algerian ancestors according to her father. At the age of 18, the French soccer player’s father fled Algeria amid a civil conflict. Yamina, her mother, is also of Algerian descent. Kenza’s father didn’t know how to read or write at the time, but he did all he could to ensure his family’s happiness. The Dali family relocated to Sainte-Colombe, a city with a bad reputation, and her family suffered as a result.
Cali, her elder brother, died at the age of 21 as a result of gang-related activities. Yamina, her mother, was diagnosed with cancer two months after her brother died. Kenza said in her interview that there were moments when she wished the cancer had hit her rather than her mother. No kid would want to witness their mother in anguish, according to the French midfielder, and happily, her older sister sheltered her from everything. Kenza Dali just revealed her mother’s illness fight in 2019. The soccer player told The Guardian that she was motivated when Stella Maher, a Breast Cancer Care volunteer and survivor, visited her club West Ham to share her experience.
Dali asked her mother for permission to narrate her survival tale. Yamina not only granted permission but also said that she hoped this would encourage her followers who are going through similar experiences. Dali remembers her mother being upbeat throughout the diagnosis. “I will heal,” she would remark. This is not going to kill me.” And Yamina was right. Her parents do not use social media, and her elder sister Sabrina does as well. Dali has also never published any Instagram photos regarding her family.
Kenza Dali’s Professional Career So Far
Kenza Dali’s passion for soccer began when she was five years old when she began attending soccer games with her cousin. Dali played with the guys until she was 15 when she was forced to switch to a girl’s squad. Lyon, a French soccer club, expressed interest in her and accepted her into their junior system. She spent her senior year with Lyon before joining PSG, where she made her first Champions League final appearance. Despite losing in the finals against Frankfurt, Kenza claimed playing in the CL final was her favorite moment with PSG. Kenza made 89 games for PSG, scoring 36 goals before joining West Ham United in England. When asked why she relocated to England, Kenza said that she desired a greater level of challenge in her work.
Kenza played 32 appearances for West Ham, scoring five goals before joining Everton. She spent one season with Everton before joining Aston Villa last season. Kenza told Sky Sports that one of the reasons she joined Aston Villa was because of her colleague Rachel Daly. They were continuously texting back and forth about whether or not they would join the English club. Both have had tremendous success at Aston Villa, which finished sixth last season. Daly even earned the Women’s Super League Golden Boot after scoring 22 goals the previous season.
