Who is Barbra Banda? The stiker sensation that downed Germany and almost joined Real Madrid

Tom Weber

• 8 Jul 2023 15:15 BST
• 4 min read

Barbra Banda scored the winning brace on Friday (July 7) that saw Zambia down Germany in a crazy match.

To those unfamiliar with the women's game and even to some who follow it, Banda may not be a recognisable name. Although women's football is less Eurocentric due to the strength of the American NWSL, players outside of the continent often go unnoticed by the average fan. Banda falls in that category, having only spent two years playing in Spain between 2018 and 2020.

Since then, she has been playing in China, scoring for fun and developing into one of the best players in the world. Indeed, she is arguably the best African women's player currently playing. Despite being only 23, she has been a household name for years.

With the Women's World Cup set to start on July 20, FootballTransfers takes a look at a player - and her country - who will be one to keep an eye on.

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What position does Banda play in?

Barbra Banda is a classic number nine, who prefers to stay forward and be freed from defensive responsibilities so as to be able to pounce on the counter.

How good is Banda?

A dynamic and deadly forward, Banda is as impressive a footballer as she is an athlete. A former professional boxer, Banda has been playing football since the age of seven, starting out in a boy's academy (because there was no women's team) before breaking into the senior team of Zambian capital club Green Buffaloes.

After a stint in Spain with Logrono, she joined Chinese side Shanghai Shengli for a sizeable fee of $300,000, where she finished her first season as the league's top scorer - a recurrent theme throughout her young career. Last year, she was reportedly on the verge of joining Real Madrid, the former club of her idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, while PSG were also interested.

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More impressive than her club exploits have been her performances for the Copper Queens, Zambia. In 2014, she featured at the U17 World Cup - aged 13 (turning 14 during the tournament) - as part of what went on to become a golden generation for Zambia.

At the Olympics two years ago, she captained her senior national team, aged just 20, and scored back-to-back hattricks in her first two games, breaking a host of records and ultimately becoming Africa's best-ever scorer at the Olympics.

The following year, Zambia claimed the COSAFA Women's Cup with Banda - unsurprisingly - winning the Golden Boot. On Friday, she hit a brace as Zambia shocked 2021 Euros runners-up Germany with a 3-2 upset, scoring an emphatic finish with her left foot before chipping goalkeeper Merle Frohms to win it in the 12th minute of stoppage time.

Quick, intelligent and with ice in her veins, Banda is one of the world's deadliest finishers. Zambia will be a team to watch at the World Cup.

How old is Banda?

Banda was born on March 20, 2000, making her 23 years old.

What is Banda's Instagram?

Banda's Instagram is @barbrabandaofficial and has 10.9k followers as of July 8, 2023.