Barbra Banda

Barbra Banda is a Zambian forward born in Lusaka, who began her athletic career in boxing before dedicating herself to football, starting her career at Green Buffaloes. In 2018, she became the first Zambian female player to play in European football, signing with EDF Logroño, from Spain. In 2020, she transferred to Shanghai Shengli, from China, where she was the leading scorer of the Chinese league in the same year. In March 2024, she signed with Orlando Pride, from the NWSL, in a multimillion-dollar transfer that at the time was the second largest in women's football history. In her first season, she led Orlando Pride to win the NWSL Shield and the NWSL title, being elected the Most Valuable Player of the final. Captain of the Zambia national team, she is the greatest goal scorer in the history of African Olympic football and was elected African Player of the Year in 2024.