Lameck Banda

Lameck Banda
Banda with Arsenal Tula in 2019
Personal information
Date of birth (2001-01-29) 29 January 2001
Place of birth Lusaka, Zambia
Height 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position Left winger
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017–2018 Nkwazi
2018–2019 ZESCO United (4)
2019–2022 Arsenal Tula 11 (0)
2020–2021 → Maccabi Netanya (loan) 24 (2)
2021–2022 → Maccabi Petah Tikva (loan) 33 (8)
2022–2026 Lecce 103 (9)
International career‡
Zambia U17
Zambia U20
2019 Zambia U23 3 (0)
2022– Zambia 20 (3)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 22 August 2026
‡ National team caps and goals as of 04:13, 22 November 2025 (UTC)

Lameck Banda known as Pippi (born 29 January 2001) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for the Zambia national team.

Club career

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]

In June 2026, Lecce advanced Banda a portion of his salary to cover his wedding expenses.[16] Despite this, the player failed to report to the pre-season medical tests on 13 July and the subsequent training camp in Austria, remaining unreachable for weeks. The club heavily penalized his unprofessional behavior with disciplinary actions and a salary suspension.[17] In August, it emerged that Banda was in Libya negotiating with Al-Swehli SC, who requested his transfer claiming he was a free agent.[18] Lecce contested the move, proving the validity of a contract extension until 2027 signed in May. On 11 August 2026, the FIGC ruled in favor of the Italian club, blocking the transfer, while the dispute was referred to FIFA.[19]

International career

Banda has been capped by Zambia at the under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels.[20][21] He debuted for the senior Zambia national team in a friendly 3–1 win over the Congo on 25 March 2022.[22]

In December 2023, he was included in the squad of twenty-seven Zambian players selected by Avram Grant to compete in the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

On 10 December 2025, Banda was called up to the Zambia squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.[23]

Career statistics

Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Banda goal.
List of international goals scored by Lameck Banda
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
123 March 2023Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia Lesotho2–13–12023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
23–1
317 November 2023Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia Congo2–24–22026 FIFA World Cup qualification

References

  1. ↑ Lameck Banda at Russian Premier League (in Russian) (archive in English)
  2. ↑ "ЛАМЕК БАНДА И КИНГС КАНГВА В "АРСЕНАЛЕ"" [Lameck Banda and Kings Kangwa in Arsenal] (in Russian). FC Arsenal Tula. 10 July 2019.
  3. ↑ "Game Report by RFPL" (in Russian). Russian Premier League. 12 July 2019.
  4. ↑ Pshehazky, Moti (3 September 2020). "המחטף הושלם: לאמק בנדה חתם בנתניה" (in Hebrew). Sport5. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
  5. ↑ "ЛАМЕК БАНДА – В "МАККАБИ" НЕТАНИЯ" [Lameck Banda at Maccabi Netanya] (in Russian). FC Arsenal Tula. 7 September 2020.
  6. ↑ "We are pleased to announce tonight the two signatures". Maccabi Petah Tikva. 6 August 2021.
  7. ↑ "Lameck Banda è un calciatore del Lecce". U.S. Lecce (in Italian). 4 August 2022. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  8. ↑ De Magistris, Raimondo (4 August 2022). "UFFICIALE: Lecce, il nuovo attaccante è zambiano. Preso il 2001 Lameck Banda". TUTTOmercatoweb.it. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  9. 1 2 "Lameck Banda makes his Serie A debut". Zambian Telegraph. 14 August 2022. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 "I cori razzisti durante Lecce-Lazio". Il Post (in Italian). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Il Lecce ribalta la Lazio ma Umtiti esce in lacrime: buu razzisti contro di lui". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). 4 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Garrick, Omar (5 January 2023). "Infantino shows support for Umtiti, Banda after racist abuse". The Athletic. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Infantino calls on fans to 'shut up all the racists'". ESPN. 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  14. 1 2 Calvi, Francesco (4 January 2023). "Ululati verso Umtiti e Banda, la lezione del Lecce: "Il nostro pubblico ha zittito i razzisti"". La Gazzetta dello Sport (in Italian). Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  15. ↑ "Cori razzisti in Lecce-Lazio, arriva il comunicato di condanna del club biancoceleste". Sky Sport (in Italian). 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  16. ↑ "Caso Banda, parla Sticchi Damiani: "Ha chiesto soldi in anticipo per il matrimonio, poi è sparito"". www.sportmediaset.mediaset.it (in Italian). Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  17. ↑ Sport, Sky (18 August 2026). "Caso Banda, la Figc dà ragione al Lecce: la ricostruzione". sport.sky.it (in Italian). Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  18. ↑ michelatrevisan (17 August 2026). "Il caso Lameck Banda e le nuove ambizioni libiche". Nigrizia (in Italian). Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  19. ↑ Sport, Sky (18 August 2026). "Caso Banda, la Figc dà ragione al Lecce: la ricostruzione". sport.sky.it (in Italian). Retrieved 18 August 2026.
  20. ↑ "COSAFA Under-17 Championship". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  21. ↑ "Lameck Banda profile". Global Sports Archive. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  22. ↑ "Zambia vs. Congo - 25 March 2022". Soccerway. 25 March 2022. Retrieved 25 March 2022.
  23. ↑ "Daka leads Zambia's final TotalEnergies CAF AFCON squad as newcomers earn surprise call-ups". Confederation of African Football. 11 December 2025. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
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