Following his electrifying start in the Saudi First Division League, when he scored twice in his league debut for Al-Tai in a thrilling 3-2 win over Al Jandal in November, Chipolopolo midfielder Emmanuel Banda ended his eleven-match scoreless streak on Sunday night.
The 25-year-old, who moved to Saudi Arabia from Croatian club Rijeka FC in September, scored and assisted in the team’s 2-1 victory over Abha. This moved them into fourth place in the Saudi First Division League, two points behind leaders Neom SC, who have 30 points and are leading the race for promotion to the top flight.
He has now appeared in 12 league games for the Saudi side, scoring three goals and assisting once.
Banda will be hoping to continue his scoring and earn a spot in Avram Grant’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which begin in March with the Chipolopolo facing Congo Brazzaville on March 22nd.
Zambia is currently third in Group E and will look to improve their chances of qualifying for the World Cup.
Banda returned to the national team squad in October after being dropped following the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which was held in January 2024. He played in both games against Chad, which finished 0-0 and 1-0.
The former Nchanga Rangers midfielder was also a member of Zambia’s squad that hosted African champions Ivory Coast on November 15, 2024, at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola, as well as Sierra Leone, in which they won 1-0 and 0-2, respectively, to secure a spot in Morocco’s 2025 AFCON.
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