Zambia’s Barbra Banda burst onto the international scene as a 21-year-old at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
During that iteration of the tournament the super striker made history as she became the first footballer – man or woman – to score back-to-back hat-tricks at the Games. In spite of her efforts, her nation was eliminated in the group stage.
In France, despite Zambia still searching for a maiden victory in what is their second Olympics appearance, Banda continues to add gloss to her ever-growing reputation.
The Zambian skipper and her teammates somehow relinquished a comfortable 5-2 lead against Australia on Sunday in Nice, going on to lose 6-5 as the Aussies mounted one of the most enthralling comebacks in Olympic football history.
Despite her obvious disappointment at the extraordinary loss, Banda cemented her individual legacy at the Games by scoring a hat-trick during Sunday’s encounter. Coupled with her goal-scoring exploits in Tokyo three years ago, her latest trio of goals took the 24-year-old to three Olympic hat-tricks.
This is the most that any female footballer has managed at the quadrennial sports spectacle. The previous record was two hat-tricks, scored by Brazilian football juggernaut Cristiane Rozeira de Souza Silva (who is simply known as Cristiane.
Coincidentally, with her latest hat-trick Banda is now just five goals short of surpassing Cristiane as the all-time top scorer in women’s football at the Games. The Brazilian has netted 14 Olympic goals in a glittering career. At 24, Banda can potentially make the record her own if Zambia qualify for the next Games.
Before that though, the Zambians face the mammoth task of vanquishing two-time world champions Germany in their last Group B match on Wednesday, 31 July.
In addition to the defeat to Australia, the Copper Queens were downed 3-0 by the US. The Americans have dominated women’s football at the Games, with four gold medals since the introduction of this segment 28 years ago.
To stand a chance of progressing to the quarterfinals the Zambians need to comfortably beat Germany and undo their poor goal difference of minus four. Though a win is not impossible against the formidable Germans, walloping them with a score big enough to undo this goal difference is unlikely.
Nevertheless, Banda will be out to add to her personal tally, hoping that, this time, her goals secure a maiden Olympic win for Zambia.
Source: SABC
