After starting the match so brilliantly with a shot on target and being arguably US Lecce’s best player on the night, the Zambian’s shine was dimmed when he was sent off in his side’s 2-0 loss on Saturday.
Yann Bisseck scored the opening goal in the 43rd minute, before Nicolo Barella sealed Inter’s win in the 78th minute.
Early in the second half, Lecce threatened with Banda’s low effort from outside the box, but it was saved comfortably by Yann Sommer with a perfect dive to his right.
Banda and his teammates were clearly frustrated, leading to his red card in the 83rd minute for dissent after he was not awarded a corner.
The red card effectively ended Banda’s 2023 campaign in Serie A. He will miss Lecce’s next match against Atalanta on Saturday and will not be available until after the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which begins on January 13, 2024, in Ivory Coast.
Banda, who has played 13 games in Serie A this season, scoring twice and assisting four times, is a dependable player for Zambia as they return to the AFCON after missing the previous three editions.
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Zambia is in Group F alongside Congo DR, Morocco, and Tanzania for the tournament.
The Chipolopolo boys will kick-start their campaign with Congo on January 17 before meeting Morocco four days later and concluding their group fixtures with Tanzania on January 24th.
They are expected to enter camp on December 26 and later move to Saudi Arabia for the final preparations ahead of the tournament.
