Barbra Banda Crowned BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year

Barbra Banda has been designated the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year for 2024. The forward for Zambia and Orlando Pride, Barbra Banda, has been chosen as the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year. She garnered the highest number of votes from BBC Sport website readers, following the announcement of a five-player shortlist last month. This shortlist, which considered performances from September 2023 to August 2024, was compiled by an extensive panel of global football experts, encompassing coaches, players, administrators, and journalists not affiliated with the BBC. The 24-year-old stated to BBC Sport, “I am shocked and surprised to have this award right by my side.” “I would like to thank the people who voted and everyone who has played a part in my life and my career – my family, my national team in Zambia and especially the Pride team. It is for everyone.” Barbra Banda marks the 10th individual to win the BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year award. This summer, Banda netted four goals for Zambia at the Paris Olympics, notably achieving a first-half hat-trick against Australia. This accomplishment established her as the top African goalscorer in Olympic history, with a total of 10 goals. For Pride, she scored 13 goals during the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season, despite her arrival only in March. Additionally, she contributed four goals in the playoffs, including the decisive goal in the championship final on Saturday, which secured Orlando Pride’s inaugural title. Banda also received the Most Valuable Player (MVP) accolade in the NWSL. In the voting, Spain and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati secured second place, with USA and Portland Thorns forward Sophia Smith finishing in third. Also included on the shortlist were Norway and Barcelona winger Caroline Graham Hansen, and USA and San Diego Wave defender Naomi Girma. Banda’s transfer to Pride from Chinese club Shanghai Shengli in March for $740,000 (£581,000) made her the second-most expensive women’s signing in history, surpassed only by her Zambia team-mate Racheal Kundananji. Banda commented, “My aim always is to score because I love scoring,” adding, “But it all starts from practice, having good training sessions and good talks with the coaches and team-mates. “It has not been easy but I think hard work and consistency has really helped.”” The captain of Zambia, who placed 12th in the 2024 Women’s Ballon d’Or, previously competed as a professional boxer, winning all five of her matches before transitioning her career to football. She remarked, “Growing up in Zambia has never been easy, especially as a young girl. It is so difficult for us to get into sport like football.” “Parents never used to believe that women could play football so it was a challenge. “My mum was not in support of it, but when women’s football started being recognised in Zambia she came to understand and let me do what I love doing most.”” Seb Hines, Pride’s head coach, informed BBC Sport, “It is great to see Barbra getting acknowledged for what she has done, not only for our club but for African football.” “She is super humble and a good person and that means a lot to us to have good people in our team.” “She is a team player and, for all of the accolades that she has won and all of the goalscoring records that she has, she puts the team first.”