Kadeisha Buchanan has played an important role in the centre-back position for the CanWNT since as a teenager. The 5’7″ defender has been with the national team since 2013 and has scored four goals in 136 appearances.
Kadeisha Buchanan: The Instrumental CanWNT’s Centre-Back
Kadeisha Buchanan burst onto the scene at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup, playing every minute of Canada's five games as a 19-year-old. The Brampton, Ontario native will be back at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in just 23 days.
MORE: https://t.co/rwcPR36xl9 pic.twitter.com/62SDaVwnsV
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) May 18, 2019
Childhood
Buchanan was born in Toronto and raised in Brampton and Mississauga. Both of Buchanan’s parents were born in Jamaica, her father was born in Saint Thomas Parish and her mother was born in Montego Bay. The now 27-year-old centreback attended high school in Brampton at the Cardinal Leger Secondary School.
According to Joe Lennox of Life Blogger, Buchanan was brought up by a single mother and was one of 11 children. Buchanan talked about what it was like to be the youngest of seven sisters (source: John Molinaro of CBC News):
“Being the last child in a big family, you always fly under the radar. You always just get by, and stay out of people’s way,” Buchanan told CBC Sports. “I’m naturally very observant and coming from a big family, I always observed my sisters closely. ‘Ok, mom, doesn’t like this. You can get away with that.’ My sisters were always rowdy and crazy, but I was the calm one, so I think that’s where it stems from.”
She also talked about the role her mother played in helping Buchanan achieve her dream as a professional and national team soccer player:
“My mom always found a way, whether it was to put food on the table, or getting me to games and practices, because we didn’t have a car,” Buchanan said. “Me being a silent kid, I was mute, so I was afraid to ask players for rides, and I would cry to my mom, ‘Can you ask them to pick me up and give me a lift?’ She always did that for me. She asked, she begged, she pleaded with friends and family to help pay for my fees, to get me to practice and games. She did that so I didn’t have to worry about those things and I could just concentrate on soccer.”
Friendship With Ashley Lawrence
Buchanan is also childhood friends with fellow CanWNT teammate, Ashley Lawrence. They first met each other as kids at the Brams United Girls Soccer Club (source: John Molinaro of TFC Republic).
This is what Lawrence said about her friendship with Buchanan growing up (source: Tara Slone of Sportsnet):
Lawrence also stated this about Buchanan in the same interview:
“There’s that rivalry, but at the end of the day there’s that friendship once the whistle blows.”
Both players now play for the same team professionally with the Chelsea FC women team in London, England.
READ MORE: Ashley Lawrence: One Of The CanWNT’s Most Important Players
Kadeisha Buchanan’s Impact With the West Virginia Mountaineers (2013-16)
Buchanan played an instrumental role in the team from 2014-16. For example, she started 20 games in 2014, 23 in 2015, and 24 in 2016.
Read along as junior Kadeisha Buchanan shares her 2015 Hardman Award acceptance speech | https://t.co/gcvmVPOLTv pic.twitter.com/niWGN0UnZo
— WVU Women's Soccer (@wvuwomenssoccer) May 19, 2016
In 2016, Buchanan won the 2016 Hermann Trophy, her second straight Hermann Trophy, an award only given to the top men’s and women’s college soccer players playing in the U.S. Nikki Izzo-Brown, head coach of the West Virginia Mountaineers, had this to say about the young centre-back (source: MetroNews Staff):
“When Kadeisha joined the WVU program in 2013, winning the Hermann Trophy was one of her career goals,” Izzo-Brown said. “She did not want to leave the collegiate playing level without winning this honor. I am so happy the committee recognized her talent, her hard work and her effort to be the best soccer player in the country.”
Izzo-Brown would continue by saying that:
“Over the last four seasons, she helped this program establish its footing as one of the best in the country.”
Buchanan’s career goals were three in 2014, while her career high in college was three assists in both 2015 and 2016. She helped Virginia make the NCAA Runner-up position in 2016, a feet that has yet to be repeated by the women’s soccer program at West Virginia. Other awards she got was winning the 2015 and 2016 Hardmann Award and the 2016 Honda Sports Award. She was also nominee for the Best Female College Athlete ESPY award back in 2017.
Kadeisha Buchanan’s Club Career
Buchanan’s club career started with the Toronto Lady Lynx back in 2013, where she made four appearances and scored one goal. She then played with the Ottawa Fury and Vaughan Azzurri, before she made her step up with Olympique Lyonnais Féminin.
Olympique Lyonnais Féminin (2017-22)
Buchanan made her mark with the Olympique Lyonnais Féminin, scoring six goals in 78 appearances. This is what Buchanan said playing in the team did for her (source: John Molinaro of CBC Sports):
“I think my game has grown more on the technical aspect of it. I was always a physical [and] dominant player, so I’ve just added a bit more finesse to my game and a bit more composure to my completion of pass technique. I think I’ve added that throughout the five years I’ve been with OL,” Buchanan said.
Buchanan won five UEFA Women’s Champions League and Division 1 Féminine trophies, including four straight from 2016-20, and winning one in 2021-22 for both competitions. She also won the Coupe de France trophy three times (2016-17, and two straight in 2018-19 and 2019-20).
Chelsea (2022-23)
Buchanan signed with Chelsea for a three-year deal last year, (source: Chelsea FC). This is what Chelsea Women manager, Emma Hayes, said about the move (source: Chelsea FC):
“Kadeisha is a serial winner at the top of her game and I have no doubt we are signing a world-class player who has proven herself on the world stage,” Hayes said. “She is going to bring a quality to our group and with her brilliant personality and character, we think she will be really liked within the dressing room. We look forward to welcoming Kadeisha this summer.”
So far, Buchanan has played sixteen games for her new squad in London, England.
National Team Career
Buchanan made her debut on January 12, 2013, against China while still in high school. She then scored her first-ever goal against the USWNT at Investors Group Field in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This is what Herdman said of Buchanan’s performance (source: Ed Tait of The Winnipeg Free Press):
“It’s really incredible… against a top goalkeeper, top players… I managed to get a head on it,” said Buchanan. “It’s exciting and an awesome experience.”
She made her very first FIFA Women’s World Cup appearance back in 2015 in Canada. 2015 was a big year for her as she was also named as the Canadian Women’s Player of the Year as well as winning the Young Player Award and being nominated for the FIFA Balloon D’Or.
Her other notable goal came in the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup, where Buchanan scored the game-winning goal against Cameroon.
Buchanan, along with Vanessa Gilles, played a big role in the CanWNT winning the Olympic Gold with their fantastic defensive display. She played very well against Brazil, the USWNT, and Sweden in the knockout stages of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
READ MORE: Vanessa Gilles: The CanWNT’s Dependable Centre-Back
Games Coming Up for the CanWNT
Going, Going, GONE! 🔥
Our visit to Halifax is SOLD OUT!@CANWNT x @carlsbergcanada pic.twitter.com/roIaFqDAUQ
— CANWNT (@CANWNT) October 14, 2023
It is highly expected that Kadeisha Buchanan plays the two home games this month against Brazil. The first game at Saputo Stadium (Stade Saputo) in Montreal will kick off at 2:30 PM ET on October 28 and then the second game will take place on October 31 in Halifax, Nova Scotia at the Wanderers Grounds and will kick off at 7:30 PM ET.
This game marks the first time the CanWNT played at Stade Saputo (Saputo Stadium) since that Celebration Tour game back on October 26, 2021, where Canada defeated New Zealand by a score line of 1-0. This is also the second time within a month that Halifax has hosted significant soccer games. The other was the home playoff game loss against Pacific FC on October 14.
Both games will be shown live on OneSoccer and Telus.
Photo Credit: Chris Jones-USA TODAY Sports, of a Kadeisha Buchanan Headshot, on February 22, 2023.
