Zambia coach explains Banda’s return post Wafcon saga

Following her controversial exclusion from the Women™s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco in June, striker Barbra Banda is back in the national team fold.

The Zambian forward had to withdraw from the Copper Queens squad on the eve of the tournament for œmedical reasons, but now she makes her much awaited return at the COSAFA Women™s Championship in Gqeberha.

Zambia women's national football team coach, Bruce Mwape explains why: œIt™s important - we feel it™s important for her because at the moment she™s been on lock-down, she couldn™t go back to China because of Covid-19 issues so we thought she can be part of this team which has come for the COSAFA competition

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Banda is the most notable change to the team that will attempt to go all the way in the regional tournament, although she was in fact initially part of the Wafcon outfit that managed to still qualify for the FIFA World Cup next year.

Mwape says he wants consistency as preparation for the global showpiece in New Zealand and Australia next year.

œIn fact, there are very few new inclusion in our team the rest are the ones that played in Morocco. The only few changes that we™ve made is about five players because the goalkeeper cannot be given the permission, all those playing outside country are not eligible to play in this competition because it™s not on FIFA calendar.

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œSo we are trying to also look at the new players that we feel they can add value to the team or those that can give competition to the current players-because where we are going we expect a lot of stiff competition, so we need to go there with a formidable team and this is one competition that actually make us assess some of the players that we feel can be part of the squad that will travel to the World Cup competition, said Mwape.

By: Mazola Molefe