Kennya Cordner


Kennya Kinda Esther "Yaya" Cordner is a Tobagonian footballer who plays as a forward for Norwegian Toppserien club IL Sandviken. She has been a member of the Trinidad and Tobago women's national team.
Previously Seattle Sounders Women in the W-League, the Brisbane Roar FC of Australia's W-League as well as the Northampton Laurels FC and Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League.

Early life

Cordner grew up in Speyside, Tobago where she attended Signal Hill Secondary Comprehensive. It was at Signal Hill where she was introduced to football.

Young Harris College

Cordner attended Young Harris College, a private university located in the state of Georgia in the United States. In 2006, she scored 18 goals and provided nine assists in the 13 games that she played for the Mountain Lions. In 2007, she played in 17 matches, scoring 37 goals, serving 13 assists for a total of 87 points for the season – the highest in the program.

Playing career

Club

Northampton Laurels FC

In 2006, Cordner signed with the Northampton Laurels FC in the WPSL, the highest division of women's professional soccer available in the United States at the time. At the time of her signing, the team was ranked third in the WPSL Eastern Conference – South Division. With Cordner's game-winning goal over top-seeded side Adirondack Lynx, she helped secure Northampton's place in the playoffs.

Kvarnsvedens IK

Cordner signed with Swedish side, Kvarnsvedens IK, for part of the 2009 season. She scored five goals for the squad.

Brisbane Roar

Cordner signed with the Brisbane Roar FC in late 2010 for the remaining two months of the 2010–2011 season. Of her signing she stated, "The quality of football here is much higher than that of my previous encounters, apart from national duty, and I am sure it will improve my game. This means a whole lot for my career because not only do I have the opportunity to become a better player, but set a standard be a role model for the younger players coming up." She made four appearances playing a total of 99 minutes and scored one goal helping the Roar ultimately win the 2010–2011 W-League Championship.

San Juan Jabloteh FC

Cordner played for San Juan Jabloteh FC of the Lucky Bakery Women's Super League in the summer of 2011. During a match against the Arima Giants, she scored seven goals launching the team to the top of the league standings. During another match against the Tunapuna Titans, she scored nine goals.

Seattle Reign FC Reserves

Cordner signed with Issaquah SC, the reserve team for the NWSL's Seattle Reign FC for the 2013 season. During her debut with the team, she scored two goals against Emerald City FC.

Seattle Reign FC

On 19 June 2013, it was announced that Cordner had signed with the Seattle Reign FC part way through the inaugural season of the National Women's Soccer League. Of the signing, Reign FC head coach Laura Harvey said, "At every level she has played Kennya has shown she knows how to find the net. We are clearly a club that is in need of a player who can consistently deliver goals, so we are excited to see the impact Kennya can have in the NWSL." Cordner made two appearances for the club and was waived in mid-July to make way another international player on the squad. NWSL rules allow only two international players on a team.

International career

Cordner made her first appearance for the Trinidad and Tobago women's national football team at age 15. She is a leading scorer for the team. In July 2011, she scored nine goals during the Women's Olympic Football Qualifying match against Dominica leading the Trinidad and Tobagonian squad to a 15–1 win.

International goals

Scores and results list Trinidad and Tobago' goal tally first.
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1
19 May 2006Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
10–0
10–0
2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup qualification
2
21 May 2006Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
2–0
4–1
2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup qualification
3
10 September 2006Larry Gomes Stadium, Arima, Trinidad and Tobago
7–0
7–0
2006 CONCACAF Women's Gold Cup qualification
4
23 November 2007Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto Rico
1–0
2–1
2008 CONCACAF Women's Pre-Olympic Tournament qualification
5
4 April 2008Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico
1–0
2–2
2008 CONCACAF Women's Pre-Olympic Tournament
6
10 May 2010Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago
2–0
6–1
2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying qualification
7
10 May 2010Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago
4–0
6–1
2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying qualification
8
12 May 2010Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago
5–0
5–0
2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying qualification
9
14 May 2010Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago
1–0
3–0
2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying qualification
10
14 May 2010Marvin Lee Stadium, Macoya, Trinidad and Tobago
3–0
3–0
2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying qualification
11
24 July 2010Estadio Metropolitano, Mérida, Venezuela
4–0
4–0
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
12
28 July 2010Estadio Metropolitano, Mérida, Venezuela
1–0
3–2
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
13
28 July 2010Estadio Metropolitano, Mérida, Venezuela
2–0
3–2
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
14
30 July 2010Estadio Metropolitano, Mérida, Venezuela
1–1
3–2
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
15
2 November 2010Estadio de Béisbol Beto Ávila, Cancún, Mexico
1–0
4–1
2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying
16
5 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
1–0
5–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
17
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
1–0
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
18
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
4–0
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
19
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
6–0
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
20
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
7–0
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
21
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
8–0
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
22
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
9–1
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
23
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
10–1
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
24
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
11–1
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
25
7 July 2011Estadio Panamericano, San Cristóbal, Dominican Republic
13–1
14–1
2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament qualification
26
20 August 2014Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
1–0
10–0
2014 CFU Women's Caribbean Cup
27
20 August 2014Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
3–0
10–0
2014 CFU Women's Caribbean Cup
28
24 August 2014Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
1–0
7–0
2014 CFU Women's Caribbean Cup
29
17 October 2014Toyota Park, Bridgeview, United States
1–0
1–0
2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship
30
20 October 2014RFK Stadium, Washington, United States
1–0
2–1
2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship
31
26 October 2014PPL Park, Chester, United States
1–1
2–4
2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship
32
14 July 2015Hamilton Pan Am Soccer Stadium, Hamilton, Canada
1–1
1–1
2015 Pan American Games
33
11 February 2016BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States
1–1
2–1
2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
34
16 February 2016BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States
1–0
5–1
2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
35
16 February 2016BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States
5–1
5–1
2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
36
29 August 2018National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
5–0
5–0
2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship qualification
37
2 September 2018National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
2–0
3–0
2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship qualification
38
2 September 2018National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
3–0
3–0
2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship qualification

Honors and awards