Dana Nadda
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dana Karim Samir Nadda | ||
| Date of birth | 14 November 2004 | ||
| Place of birth | Cairo, Egypt | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Position | Attacking midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Southern Illinois Salukis | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2023–2024 | Fairfield Stags | 38 | (2) |
| 2025 | Southern Illinois Salukis | 19 | (6) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2019 | Wadi Degla | ||
| International career‡ | |||
| 2020–2024 | Egypt U20 | 8 | (5) |
| 2021– | Egypt | 10 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals as of 2 March 2026 | |||
Dana Karim Samir Nadda (Arabic: دانا كريم سمير ندا; born 14 November 2004) is an Egyptian college footballer who plays as a midfielder for the Southern Illinois Salukis and the Egypt women's national football team.[1]
Prior to joining the Fairfield Stags, Nadda spent three years at IMG Academy in the United States, where she played for the academy's football programme while completing her secondary education. During her time there, she developed as a midfielder and gained experience in competitive youth football.[2]
Following her graduation from IMG Academy, Nadda received a full scholarship from Fairfield University to join its NCAA Division I women's soccer programme. She subsequently joined the Fairfield Stags on a four-year collegiate programme beginning with the 2023 season.[2]
Nadda joined the Fairfield Stags in 2023 and started three of her 17 appearances during her freshman season, playing a total of 529 minutes. She scored her first collegiate goal from a free kick against Fordham on 3 September and recorded 13 shots overall, including two attempts in three separate matches. Her longest outing of the season came against Rider on 23 September, where she played 61 minutes and registered two shots, one of them on target. Following her goal against Fordham, Nadda was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Week, becoming the second Stag that season to receive a conference weekly award and the first to earn rookie honours.[3]
During the 2024 season, she made 21 appearances, scoring one goal and registering a career-high five assists. She contributed to goals in three consecutive matches, beginning with a goal against Fordham on 1 September, followed by assists against Rider on 7 September and Iona on 14 September. All five assists came in MAAC play, with additional assists recorded against Niagara on 21 September, Manhattan on 5 October, and Marist on 23 October, helping the team win the 2024 MAAC women's soccer tournament.[4]
Club career
Nadda began her football journey at the Barcelona Academy in Cairo, Egypt, where she was the only girl training among boys, starting at the age of five. She later joined a private academy before moving to Wadi Degla, one of Egypt's top women's football clubs. At Degla, she competed in the Egyptian Women's Premier League, training and playing alongside the first team in competitive matches.[5]
While at Degla, Nadda attracted international attention through her performances, which were recorded by her father and shared with foreign clubs. This led to a two-week trial with Chelsea in England, where her technical abilities and fitness impressed the coaching staff.[5]
