It revolves around Zambia in the Olympic football tournament. In two matches, the African national team, which is making its first Olympics ever, has conceded a total of 14 goals, ten of them in the premiere against the Netherlands.
At the same time, Zambia has dominated with seven goals ahead and with one group game left to play, still hangs on to a quarter-final place. Federal captain Bruce Mwape can largely thank team captain and attacking star Barbra Banda for that.
Almost on its own, Banda has terrorized the defenders of the Netherlands and China, respectively, and in 180 minutes has had time for two straight hat tricks – an achievement that makes her historic in the Olympic context.
– I am very proud of myself and the team because without them I can not score goals. It’s good to write history when you have the chance so I just have to keep working hard and write more history, Banda said according to International Football Association (Fifa) after the match against China this weekend.
– Barbra Banda (center) started playing football at the age of six, encouraged by her father.
Foto: Kohei Chibahara / AFP
I Zambia counts Barbra Banda already now as the country’s best football player ever on the women’s side. But that she would top the Olympic shooting league, together with the Dutchwoman Vivianne Miedemma, on six goals with over half the group game completed, there were probably few who predicted the home country.
The 21-year-old certainly has qualifications from the Spanish top league and plays everyday in Chinese Shanghai Shengli – but on the big international football scene, Barbra Banda was unknown. That is no longer the case and for Banda himself, the ultimate goal is clear: to become the world’s best football player.
It’s not impossible to believe league captain Bruce Mwape.
– I’ve seen her from the start. She always wants to learn and her training attitude is different from others. “I would like her to one day be one of the biggest in the world and we want everyone to know that we can also produce world stars,” Mwape told Fifa during the Olympics.
During the late spring and summer, the spread of the coronavirus has reached alarmingly high levels in Africa and Zambia is one of the continent’s worst affected nations at the moment. For many, the national team’s progress in the Olympics is therefore a welcome break.
– They are satisfied with our performance. “Given the team we have, they know we are doing something great for our country,” Banda told Fifa recently.
– Pia Sundhage and her Brazil will face Barbra Banda on Tuesday.
Photo: Nelson Antoine / AP
After the premiere loss against the Netherlands (3–10), Zambia moved up and drew with China (4–4). On Tuesday Brazil and Pia Sundhage. It will probably take a victory for the national team to continue playing in the Olympics.
There are almost a hundred places between the nations in Fifa’s ranking system. According to Barbra Banda, there is nevertheless a belief in achieving a result within the team.
– It is the first time in a big tournament for many of the girls and I think they have better morale now. We have a strong feeling that we can do something in the third match. In it we want three points.
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