Zambian international Lameck Banda’s transfer saga has escalated, with U.S. Lecce reporting the matter to FIFA after news emerged that he had agreed to join Libyan side Al-Swehly Sports Club, having decided against extending his stay with the Italian club.
BolaNews has confirmed that Banda joined Al-Swehly as a free agent on July 25, 2026, after his Lecce contract expired on June 30, 2026. It is understood that he informed the club on three occasions of his intention to decline a new contract, but Lecce went ahead and announced an extension without his consent or any agreement.
Meanwhile, following the FIFA complaint, the Libyan club disputes Lecce’s claim that it had the right to automatically extend Banda’s contract for the 2026/27 season. Al-Swehly says the extension option was unilateral and that Banda never signed a new agreement consenting to another year.
Sources close to Banda have also claimed that the winger rejected the prospect of staying at Lecce after what they described as years of mistreatment, including low pay amid the high cost of living in Italy.
“They took advantage of him for four years,” the source said, alleging that Banda had been told that no other clubs wanted him despite interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia and England.
The source further claimed that Banda had exhausted attempts to resolve the matter with Lecce and had clearly communicated that he would not stay.
Al-Swehly says Banda remained in contact with Lecce after the expiry of his contract but declined to return for pre-season because he believed he was no longer contractually bound to the club.
Banda’s registration stalls
The dispute has now reached the international registration process, with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) requesting the cancellation of Al-Swehly’s registration request after Lecce maintained that Banda was still under contract.
Al-Swehly has rejected the claim and says the matter should be determined by FIFA, insisting that Banda has the right to play for his new club.
The Libyan club has also invited Lecce to take the matter before the FIFA Football Tribunal, setting the stage for a legal battle over Banda’s contractual status.
The latest response from Al-Swehly marks a significant escalation in the dispute over the Zambian international, with the two sides presenting fundamentally different interpretations of Banda’s contractual status and the validity of Lecce’s claimed extension to June 2027.
