Zambian female footballer's success in Chinese league cheered on at home

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VIDEO SHOWS: ZAMBIAN SOCCER PLAYER BARBRA BANDA TRAINING IN ZAMBIA AND CHINA WITH HER CLUB SHANGHAI SHENGLI, ZAMBIAN COACH AND PLAYER SPEAK ABOUT INSPIRATION BANDA GIVES THEM FOLLOWING HER SUCCESS IN CHINA

SHOWS:

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. VARIOUS OF ZAMBIAN SOCCER PLAYER, BARBRA BANDA DRIBBLING A SOCCER BALL DURING TRAINING

2. BANDA TRAINING WITH OTHER FEMALE PLAYERS

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAMBIAN FOOTBALLER, BARBRA BANDA, SAYING:

"I stood out but it's not that I'm the best but I think it's the effort that I'm putting in as myself and my talent and what I want in life. Cause talent can be there but if I'm not determined then I can't go anywhere so I have to work extra hard. For me to be there, it takes someone to be disciplined, that's the first cardinal of a player. You have to be disciplined in whatever you do, wherever you go you have to be disciplined, you have to be determined, you have to be hard working, you have to show it off that you are capable of doing this."

4. MORE OF BANDA PLAYING WITH OTHER FOOTBALLERS

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAMBIAN FOOTBALLER, BARBRA BANDA, SAYING:

"In China this is my first season, I played 13 games and I had 18 goals - I came out the top scorer."

SHANGHAI, CHINA (FILE) (BARBRA BANDA - MUST ON-SCREEN COURTESY - BARBRA BANDA) (MOBILE PHONE FOOTAGE)

6. VARIOUS OF BANDA AT A TRAINING CAMP WITH THE SHANGHAI SHENGLI CLUB

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA (OCTOBER 21, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LUSAKA DYNAMOS FC COACH, ENALA SIMBEYA, SAYING:

"Having players like Barbra who have come out and shown that they can do it inspires a lot of players that we're coaching right now. So even having her right here, at the pitch, it's a big inspiration to the team because the girls are now having the focus, at least they have a dream and they've seen another girl achieve it. So their performance, even increases because they want to be like Barbra or even better than Barbra."

8. MORE OF BARBRA TRAINING WITH OTHER FOOTBALLERS

9. COACH SIMBEYA AND THE FOOTBALLERS SORTING OUT TEAMS FOR TRAINING

10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) LUSAKA DYNAMOS FOOTBAL PLAYER, SALOME KIZOMBA, SAYING:

"I've been watching her maybe for the past maybe, it should be six months. It inspires me a lot, she's strong and courageous and even her kind of play is just amazing. It's different from other football players in Africa - she has a fighting spirit."

11. MORE OF BANDA PLAYING

12. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ZAMBIAN FOOTBALLER, BARBRA BANDA, SAYING:

"Most of the African (women) players are now playing abroad. Everyone wants to work hard and play professional football. I think now, it's now people coming to know African football also is on another level so I think it's up to us as women to commit ourselves to whatever we want to do."

13. BANDA DRIBBLING A SOCCER BALL

14. VARIOUS OF BANDA JUGGLING A BALL

STORY: After clinching the top scorer award in the Women's Chinese Super League, Zambian footballer Barbra Banda is inspiring girls at home to follow in her footsteps.

The 20-year-old won the Golden Boot of China's top flight after scoring 18 goals in 13 games, double that of her nearest goalscoring rival.

The powerful forward, playing her debut season in China, finished the campaign nine goals ahead of her nearest challenger Temwa Chawinga of Wuhan Jianghan. Having helped her side seal third place in the standings, Banda has been the talk of the league.

"I stood out but it's not that I'm the best but I think it's the effort that I'm putting in as myself and my talent and what I want in life. Cause talent can be there but if I'm not determined then I can't go anywhere so I have to work extra hard," Banda told Reuters at a training session in Lusaka, where she has returned during the Chinese Super League closed season.

Banda, who plays for the Zambian national team and played in Spain before moving to China, is one of a small group of young female players from Africa playing abroad.

"Having players like Barbra who have come out and showed that they can do it inspires a lot of players that we're coaching right now," Lusaka Dynamos Women's team head coach Enala Simbeya said, as her team trained with Banda.

Lusaka Dynamos striker Salome Kizomba said she was in awe of Banda's skills after closely watching her play for the past six months.

"She is strong and courageous and even her kind of play is amazing, it's different from other football players in Africa."

(Production: Moses Mwape, Sisipho Skweyiya)