Zambia’s prolific striker Barbra Banda says it is “amazing” to be back in action for her national team after sitting out the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in July in a row over eligibility. <\/span><\/p>\n With eight goals from just three games at the Cosafa Cup, the southern African regional tournament, Banda is making up for lost time in South Africa. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n “It’s so amazing to be back in the Zambian colours,” the 22-year-old told BBC Sport Africa. <\/span><\/p>\n “I’m happy for myself and I think my team-mates are also very happy and excited.” <\/span><\/p>\n Banda is featuring competitively for Zambia, who have reached the Cosafa Cup semi-finals, for the first time since last year’s 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where she became the first player to score back-to-back hat-tricks in the tournament’s long history. <\/span><\/p>\n She featured in a friendly against South Africa in February but was then left out of this year’s Wafcon in July after she <\/span>failed gender eligibility tests<\/span><\/a> carried out by the Football Association of Zambia (Faz). <\/span><\/p>\n However, the forward was in host nation Morocco to support her team-mates, who finished third – a historic result given that they automatically <\/span>qualified for their first World Cup<\/span><\/a> on account of reaching the semi-finals. <\/span><\/p>\n Nonetheless, Banda admits that cheering from the stands was difficult at times. <\/span><\/p>\n “That wasn’t easy for me but, being a leader of the team, I was very determined about it because I realised that once I’m down, that team will also be down,” Banda explained to Sport Africa. <\/span><\/p>\n “I had to keep on pushing them and giving them morale, up to the end of the Wafcon, where we did good.” <\/span><\/p>\n Two months on, coach Bruce Mwape is still wondering how much further Zambia would have gone had Banda been allowed to play. <\/span><\/p>\n “I think if we had her in the in the team and we had happened to reach the finals, I think we could have won the Wafcon,” he told the BBC. <\/span><\/p>\n Banda was not even put forward as a squad member by Faz, whose interpretations of the tournament rules regarding her eligibility dissuaded them from entering her for the competition run by the Confederation of African Football (Caf). <\/span><\/p>\n China-based Banda is able to play in the Cosafa tournament because of a fundamental contrast in the regulations. <\/span><\/p>\n “The tournament rules for Cosafa are different from the Caf rules on eligibility – there are no requirements for gender eligibility tests,” Faz president Andrew Kamanga told BBC Sport Africa. <\/span><\/p>\n The impact of her return to the team has been instant, especially with several other forwards unavailable for the Cosafa Cup with commitments elsewhere.<\/span><\/p>\n Banda is currently the tournament’s leading scorer, with five of her goals coming during Sunday’s 7-0 rout of Lesotho. <\/span><\/p>\n “We are extremely happy to see her back in the team with a bang, we missed out a lot,” says Mwape. <\/span><\/p>\n “She’s one of our dependable players, especially up front. Now that we’ve got other players playing outside the country, we seem to be struggling with the striking force.” <\/span><\/p>\n Having finished top of Group A with maximum points, and eleven goals scored, Zambia will play Tanzania in the last four on Friday. <\/span><\/p>\n According to Banda, the Copper Queens’ fine Wafcon means there are hopes the country will lift its first Cosafa title this year. <\/span><\/p>\n “I think the expectations are very high because the performance that the team put in at Wafcon was so amazing,” Banda says. <\/span><\/p>\n “I think everyone now is looking up to us to have the Cosafa Cup. I also can’t wait to be crowned as champions for Cosafa.” <\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, coach Mwape believes winning the South Africa-hosted tournament will be the best preparation for their debut at next year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. <\/span><\/p>\n South Africa, who won this year’s Wafcon, could stand in their way in the final, but the host nation is featuring a second-string side with the first team having <\/span>twice faced Brazil<\/span><\/a> this week. <\/span><\/p>\n “Going to the World Cup, I think we need to go with a winning mentality,” Mwape explains. <\/span><\/p>\nDifferent regulations <\/h3>\n
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