ORLANDO, Fla. (July 3, 2024) — Orlando Pride players Barbra Banda and Grace Chanda have been named to Zambia’s roster for the 2024 Paris Olympics, it was announced today.
Banda has been on a scoring tear since joining the Pride back in April. She is currently tied atop the league leaders in goals scored with 11 in just 11 games played, becoming the first NWSL player in league history to do so. She has recorded a brace on four separate occasions which ties a single-season league record, and she became just the fifth player in history to have four braces in a single season.
This tournament will be Banda’s second Olympic appearance after a historic 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The Copper Queens’ captain became the first player in Olympic history to score back-to-back hat tricks and the first to total two hat tricks over one tournament – scoring three against both the Netherlands and China. Banda first debuted with Zambia in 2016 and has represented her country across many different tournaments, including the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. During last year’s World Cup, Banda scored the game-winning goal in Zambia’s final game of the tournament, ending the group stage on a high with a 3-1 victory over Costa Rica for the nation’s first-ever World Cup win.
Pride midfielder Grace Chanda has also been called in to represent Zambia during the Olympic games. Chanda is set to join the Pride following Zambia’s run in the Olympics after signing with the Club on May 30. Chanda has represented Zambia at the 2018 and 2022 Africa Women Cup of Nations and was one of three players shortlisted for African Women's Footballer of the Year in 2022 after helping Zambia qualify for the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, a tournament she would unfortunately be ruled out of due to illness.
During the nation’s previous Olympic run, the midfielder was the top goal scorer for Zambia with eight goals at the 2020 CAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament and helped Zambia book a ticket to their first Olympics. Chanda made her return to the national team during this Olympic qualification cycle appearing in both qualifying matches against Morocco.
Zambia will appear in its second ever Olympic games after previously taking part in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. They earned their spot in the games by winning the CAF Olympic Qualifying Tournament, a tournament that Banda scored four goals in, including a brace to secure Zambia’s spot in the Olympics.
Zambia has been drawn into Group B and are set to face the United States on July 25, Australia on July 28 and Germany on July 31 in the Group Stage
