Kenza Dali was born in Algeria, but her parents escaped when war broke out. Dali’s mother, Yamina, is a cancer survivor whose story Kenza shared in 2019.
Kenza Dali, a midfielder from France, was motivated to play soccer by her cousin. Lyon signed the midfielder when he was 14 years old, and he made his senior team debut in 2009.
Kenza’s soccer obsession has carried her from France to England. The veteran, who spent the majority of her career at PSG, joined West Ham United in 2019. The Aston Villa player is not the only North African on France’s national team. Sakina Karchaoui and Amel Majri are the two other North African players in France’s current World Cup squad.
Kenza Dali’s Origine and Parents
According to her father, Kenza Dali has Algerian origins. The French soccer player’s father escaped Algeria during a civil war when he was 18 years old. Her mother, Yamina, is likewise of Algerian ancestry. Kenza’s father couldn’t read or write at the time, but he did everything he could to secure his family’s happiness.
Her family suffered as a result of the Dali family’s relocation to Sainte-Colombe, a place with a terrible reputation. Cali, her older brother, died as a result of gang-related actions at the age of 21. Two months after her brother died, her mother, Yamina, was afflicted with cancer.
In her interview, Kenza stated that there were times when she wished the disease had struck her rather than her mother. According to the French midfielder, no child would want to see their mother in pain, and thankfully, her older sister shielded her from everything. Kenza Dali just recently announced her mother’s sickness battle in 2019.
Stella Maher, a Breast Cancer Care volunteer and survivor, visited her club West Ham to share her story, the soccer player told The Guardian. Dali requested permission from her mother to tell her survival story. Yamina not only gave permission but also expressed her wish that this would encourage her fans who are going through similar situations.
Dali recalls her mother remaining positive throughout the diagnosis. “I will heal,” she would say. “I’m not going to die from this.” And Yamina was correct. Her parents and her older sister Sabrina do not use social media. Dali has also never shared any Instagram images of her family.
Kenza Dali’s Professional Career So Far
Kenza Dali’s love of soccer began at the age of five when she began attending soccer games with her cousin. Dali was a member of the men’s team until she was 15 when she was forced to join a girl’s squad. Lyon, a French soccer club, showed interest in her and admitted her into their youth system.
She completed her senior year with Lyon before moving on to PSG, where she appeared in her first Champions League final. Despite losing in the finals against Frankfurt, Kenza said her fondest moment with PSG was playing in the CL final. Kenza played for PSG for 89 appearances, scoring 36 goals before joining West Ham United in England.
When asked why she moved to England, Kenza stated that she wanted more challenges in her career. Before joining Everton, Kenza made 32 appearances for West Ham, scoring five goals. She played with Everton for one season before joining Aston Villa last season.
Kenza told Sky Sports that her colleague Rachel Daly was one of the reasons she joined Aston Villa. They were constantly messaging about whether or not they would join the English club. Both have enjoyed excellent success at Aston Villa, which finished sixth in the Premier League last season. Daly even won the Women’s Super League Golden Boot the previous season after scoring 22 goals.
Also Read: Without A Partner, Lori Pretty Feels Lonely
