Wellington Phoenix have found their replacement for the injured Sabitra ‘Samba’ Bhandari, signing American forward Mackenzie Anthony on a short-term deal.
The 24-year-old arrives in New Zealand off the back of a prolific rookie professional season for Shelbourne FC in the League of Ireland where she scored 23 goals in 25 appearances.
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The ‘Nix moved quickly to secure the services of Anthony on an injury replacement contract after it was confirmed star striker Bhandari had ruptured her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) at the beginning of 2026.
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“Mackenzie’s played for a very good NCAA team in Michigan State and then obviously went on to be one of the top goalscorers in Ireland,” said Wellington Phoenix head coach Bev Priestman.
“She clearly has an eye for goal and finishing ability in and around the box. Mackenzie will bolster our forward line and will really help us in this critical part of the season.
“Like every signing we’ve made, she’s also an unbelievable human being and someone that’s going to be great for the dressing room, which was really important to us.”
Anthony arrived in Wellington on Tuesday and has already begun training with her teammates.
However she will only be eligible to make her Ninja A-League debut when she obtains the appropriate work visas.
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“I’m excited! I’ve heard so many good things about this club. Everybody seems to love it so I’m just excited to be a part of it and be in New Zealand,” said the American forward.
“I got a lot of confidence playing in Ireland, which was great. I scored a lot of goals and I loved Dublin, the team and the club, so it was a great first year as a pro. I couldn’t have asked for anything better.
“So coming here I feel like I’m ready for the A-League and I’m excited to see what I can bring to this competition, given it’s a different style of play.
She added: “I’ve watched some games and I was like ‘wow, it’s going to be a lot of running’, but it’ll be good. At Baylor it was way more transitional, so I am used to that.
“I’m good at putting the ball in the net and holding the ball up. I also love taking on players one- vs-one and I’m good at aerial duels too.”
Next up for the Phoenix is a home clash against Adelaide United at Porirua Park on January 25.
