Annabelle Chukwu, a prolific scorer at youth level, called up by Canada senior side

Canada coach Casey Stoney has called up teenage forward Annabelle Chukwu, who has scored a Canadian record 39 goals in 42 international youth-level appearances, for games against Costa Rica and the U.S. in the upcoming FIFA international window.

The eighth-ranked Canadian women host No. 43 Costa Rica on June 27 in a special Pride Celebration game at Toronto's BMO Field before heading south to face the top-ranked U.S. on July 2 at Audi Field in Washington, D.C.

"This [international] window is an important step forward for our group as we continue building toward our goals," Stoney said in a statement. "Playing at home, especially during Pride Month, means a great deal to this team and gives us an incredible opportunity to connect with more of our fans and honour the values that matter most to us.

"Facing Costa Rica will be a true measure of our progress, and immediately after, we step up to a world-class challenge against the world's top-ranked team, the U.S.A., which is exactly where we want to be."

Chukwu, a freshman at Notre Dame, was called up twice before by former Canada coach Bev Priestman but has yet to win a senior cap. The 18-year-old, who was born in England but grew up in Ottawa, has been a force at the youth level.

Chukwu's highlight-reel goal in the 122nd minute lifted Canada to a 3-2 win over Mexico in the championship game at the CONCACAF Women's Under-20 Championship earlier this month in Costa Rica.

She surpassed the previous Canadian youth scoring record of 27 goals, set by former Canada captain Christine Sinclair, in September at the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia.

Stoney's 23-woman roster includes two Northern Super League players in AFC Toronto's Emma Regan and Vancouver Rise FC's Holly Ward.

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