There is a certain genre of athlete we all know: a total force of nature on the field, someone whose exuberant performances stand head and shoulders above their peers, someone who seems like they must be nine feet tall should you ever meet them based on how their game looks on a screen and how they make fans feel through their sheer ability.
And off the field? Quiet, sometimes introverted, uncomfortable in the public eye.
In person, Barba Banda folds herself into her office chair for an interview seeming a little bit smaller than her official 5ft 10in height. She’s softly spoken, a little shy — at least with new people. There are a lot of requests on her time these days, but she still doesn’t seem totally comfortable with a camera or a microphone pointed at her.
She’s become one of the faces of Zambian soccer both at home and in the United States and is followed by Zambian fans from game to game.
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) April 16, 2024
The soft-spokenness should not, by any means, be mistaken for a lack of ambition. Banda has asserted several times that she wants to become the best player in the world and this year, at 24, she was placed on the 30-player Ballon d’Or shortlist, ultimately finishing 12th overall in the…
