'Barbra Banda should be a FIFA Best XI every year' - Orlando Pride VP

Copper Queens skipper Barbra Banda was officially unveiled on Tuesday at her new club, Orlando Pride, in the United States of America, following her club-record transfer from Shanghai Shengli.

She signed a four-year contract with the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) team for a $740,000 transfer fee.

The 24-year-old striker joined Orlando in March, just a month after her compatriot Racheal Kundananji was signed by Bay FC for a world-record $787,000 transfer fee from Madrid CFF, with an additional $80k in potential add-ons.

Banda’s transfer became the second-largest in women’s football history.

Haley Carter, Orlando Pride’s Vice President of Soccer Operations and General Manager, stated that the motivation for signing Banda was to give her the opportunity to showcase her talent to a larger audience around the world.

“When you look at Barbra Banda, it’s really about the athlete and what the athlete’s interests are and I am very committed. As you guys probably know, I have a reputation for ensuring that athletes who traditionally may not get opportunities in mainstream markets are looked at, and I think when you look at an athlete like Barbra Banda, her commercial potential should be a FIFA Best XI every year, consistently,” Carter told reporters during Banda’s introductory press conference at INTER&Co Stadium on Tuesday.

Orlando Pride VP on why Banda should be a FIFA Best XI

Carter believes that Banda has not been in FIFA’s Best XI yet “because people have not had access to see her play.”

The former American footballer stated that continents such as Africa have a wealth of talented players that the rest of the world has yet to see, which is what prompted them to sign Banda.

“The talent pools on those continents are incredible, but it’s unfortunate that the casual football fan rarely gets to see them play unless it’s at the Olympics or World Cup. And so being able to bring Barbra to the NWSL so that the entire world can see her week in and week out and witness the incredible things she can do [is fantastic].

Barbra Banda at the INTER&Co Stadium in Florida on Tuesday.

“She is a special, one-of-a-kind talent, and so from a negotiation standpoint, ensuring that we put a package together that not only supports her financially but also, we talk about developing athletes on and off the field,” continued Carter.

Meanwhile, Banda could make her NWSL debut on Friday, when Orlando Pride face San Diego Wave in their fifth match of the season.

Orlando has won one and drawn three of their four games thus far, scoring five goals and conceding four, with one clean sheet in their most recent game against Utah Royals.