Zambia's Barbara Banda nominated for 2024 Ballon d'Or
The nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or Feminin have been announced, ahead of the ceremony on October 28 at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris, with last year's winner Aitana Bonmati leading the way.
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Also in contention is Zambia’s national team striker, Barbra Banda who has a reputation as the 'most in-form forward in the world'.
Another African vying for the prestigious award is Malawian forward Tabitha Chawinga, who plies her trade with French professional women's football club PSG.
Having scored 12 goals in her first 12 NWSL games, expectations were high going into the Paris 2024 Olympics but Banda lived up to expectation.
Banda, 24, is no stranger to women's Olympic football, putting her name in lights at Tokyo 2020 three years ago.
The Zambian captain became the first player in the tournament history to score hat-tricks in back-to-back games, against the Republic of China and the Netherlands, despite her side going winless and exiting in the group stages.
Fast-forward to the Paris 2024 Olympics, at the Nice Stadium, and the sensational forward added yet another three-goal feat to her name in a breathless 11-goal encounter against Australia that ended 6-5 in favour of the Aussies.
Her slice of history was wrapped up inside the opening 45 minutes, with decisive strikes at the very start and end of the first half.
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She is currently the first player in women's football to score three hat-tricks at the Olympic Games.
She is probably the greatest football talent in her country, inspiring a whole generation of young women.
Banda began playing on the streets of Lusaka where it was a taboo for women to play football and ended up joining one of the biggest clubs, the Green Buffaloes, before being the first player in Zambia to play in Europe followed by Super League club Shanghai Shengli where she was the top scorer.
She also led her nation in their first ever FIFA Women's World Cup hosted by Australia and New Zealand in July, 2023.
Below is the full list of nominees for the 2024 Ballon d'Or Feminin
Aitana Bonmati - Barcelona
Lauren Hemp - Man City
Trinity Rodman - Washington Spirit
Barbra Banda - Shanghai RCB/Orlando Pride
Tarciane - Houston Dash
Manuela Giugliano - Roma
Mallory Swanson - Chicago Red Stars
Glodis Viggosdottir - Bayern Munich
Mariona Caldentey - Barcelona/Arsenal
Lauren James - Chelsea
Patricia Guijarro - Barcelona
Lea Schuller - Bayern Munich
Gabi Portilho - Corinthians
Tabitha Chawinga - PSG
Caroline Graham Hansen - Barcelona
Lindsey Horan - Lyon
Lucy Bronze - Barcelona/Chelsea
Yui Hasegawa - Man City
Ada Hegerberg - Lyon
Sjoeke Nusken - Chelsea
Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
Giulia Gwinn (Bayern Munich)
Khadija Shaw (Manchester City)
Grace Geyoro (Paris-SG)
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona)
Marie-Antoinette Katoto (Paris-SG)
Mayra Ramirez (Levante - Chelsea)
Alyssa Naeher (Chicago Red Stars)
Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg - Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)