Lameck Banda
Zambian footballer (born 2001)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lameck Banda (born 29 January 2001) is a Zambian professional footballer who plays as a left winger for Serie A club Lecce and the Zambia national team.
|
Banda with Arsenal Tula in 2019 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 29 January 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Lusaka, Zambia | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 7 in)[1] | ||
| Position | Left winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Lecce | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2018 | Nkwazi | ||
| 2018–2019 | ZESCO United | ||
| 2019–2022 | Arsenal Tula | 11 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → Maccabi Netanya (loan) | 24 | (2) |
| 2021–2022 | → Maccabi Petah Tikva (loan) | 33 | (8) |
| 2022– | Lecce | 90 | (7) |
| International career‡ | |||
| Zambia U17 | |||
| Zambia U20 | |||
| 2019 | Zambia U23 | 3 | (0) |
| 2022– | Zambia | 20 | (3) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 15:56, 8 February 2026 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals as of 04:13, 22 November 2025 (UTC) | |||
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]
International career
Banda has been capped by Zambia at the under-17, under-20 and under-23 levels.[16][17] He debuted for the senior Zambia national team in a friendly 3–1 win over the Congo on 25 March 2022.[18]
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.[19]
International goals
- Scores and results list Zambia's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Banda goal.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 23 March 2023 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia |  Lesotho | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2023 Africa Cup of Nations qualification |
| 2 | 3–1 | |||||
| 3 | 17 November 2023 | Levy Mwanawasa Stadium, Ndola, Zambia |  Congo | 2–2 | 4–2 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |