Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 29 January 2001 | ||
Place of birth | Lusaka, Zambia | ||
Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Left winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Lecce | ||
Number | 22 | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | ( Gls) |
2017–2018 | Nkwazi | ||
2018–2019 | ZESCO United | ||
2019–2022 | Arsenal Tula | 11 | (0) |
2020–2021 | → Maccabi Netanya (loan) | 24 | (2) |
2021–2022 | → Maccabi Petah Tikva (loan) | 33 | (8) |
2022– | Lecce | 57 | (4) |
International career‡ | |||
Zambia U17 | |||
Zambia U20 | |||
2019 | Zambia U23 | 3 | (0) |
2022– | Zambia | 14 | (3) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 9 June 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17 January 2024 |
Lameck Banda (born 29 January 2001) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Serie A club Lecce and the Zambia national team.
On 10 July 2019, Banda signed a contract with Russian Premier League club FC Arsenal Tula. [2] He joined his compatriots Evans Kangwa and Kings Kangwa at the club.
He made his debut in the Russian Premier League for Arsenal Tula on 12 July 2019 in a season-opening game against FC Dynamo Moscow, as a starter. [3]
On 3 September 2020, Banda signed with Maccabi Netanya. [4] On 7 September 2020, Arsenal Tula confirmed the transfer and announced that it is a loan until May 2021. [5] On 6 August 2021, he returned to Israel, joining Maccabi Petah Tikva on a season-long loan with an option to buy. [6]
On 4 August 2022, Banda joined newly-promoted Serie A club U.S. Lecce on a permanent deal, signing a four-year deal with an option for a fifth season. [7] [8] He then made his debut for the Italian club on 13 August, coming on as a substitute for Federico de Francesco in the 74th minute of a 2–1 league loss against Inter Milan. [9] By doing so, he became the first Zambian player to ever feature in a Serie A match. [9]
On 4 January 2023, Banda was racially abused, together with his team-mate Samuel Umtiti, by a group of away supporters during a home league game against Lazio. [10] [11] [12] [13] The Lazio fans involved kept targeting the two players with racist chants throughout most part of the match, [10] [14] with referee Livio Martinelli being forced to interrupt the game for a few minutes during the second half – although the Zambian player had already been substituted at half time. [10] [12] [13] The game eventually ended in a 2–1 win for Lecce. [11] [12] The club's president himself, Saverio Sticchi Damiani, defended both the abused players in the post-match. [10] [13] [14] Lazio apologised for the behaviour of their supporters by issuing an official statement on social media, [15] while FIFA president Gianni Infantino showed support to Umtiti and Banda through a message on his Instagram profile. [12] [13]
Banda has been capped by Zambia at the under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels. [16] [17] He debuted for the senior Zambia national team in a friendly 3–1 win over the Congo on 25 March 2022. [18]
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 23 March 2023 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia | Lesotho | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
2 | 3–1 | |||||
3 | 17 November 2023 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia | Congo | 2–2 | 4–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |