Barbra Banda is undoubtedly one of the best women’s football players on the planet. With accolades such as the CAF Women’s Player of the Year, BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year, and a second-place finish at FIFA The Best awards, she has firmly established herself as a powerhouse in the women’s game.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or nominee holds countless records, including being the only player in Summer Olympics history to score three hat-tricks. Banda is also the first player, male or female, since Godfrey Chitalu to score over 50 goals for Zambia.
Finding a player who can match her achievements or level of completeness is no easy task. However, one name that continues to spark conversation among fans and pundits is Fridah Mukoma. Many have labelled her as the next Barbra Banda.
While the Copper Queens skipper remains in a league of her own, BolaNews drops a few reasons why some believe Mukoma can reach similar heights.
Background and Career Path
Before rising to stardom, Banda was just a young girl playing football in the streets of Mtendere in Lusaka. Mukoma, on the other hand, hails from Kabanda in Mwinilunga District, North Western Province. Both stars share a humble beginning and could not have imagined their passion for football taking them this far.
She was scouted by Kansanshi Dynamos, who brought her to Solwezi, where she ended the season as the club’s top scorer with 7 goals.
Mukoma then went on to take the Zambian women’s league by storm, scoring 14 goals and making 21 assists for ZESCO Ndola Girls in the 2024-25 season, quite similar to how Banda rose to fame at Green Buffaloes.
Banda later moved to China, where she scored 41 goals in 52 matches for Shanghai RCB and won the Golden Boot in 2020. In 2025, Mukoma is leading the Golden Boot race in the Chinese league with seven goals in eight appearances for Beijing Jingtan.
From China, Banda moved to the United States to join Orlando Pride, where she has established herself as one of the best players in the world. And, as if written in the stars, Mukoma will join parent club Kansas City Current in the United States after her loan in China.
Physicality, Dribbling and Speed
Just like Banda, Mukoma is blessed with immense strength, as well as the skill and pace to effortlessly dribble past opponents. Once either of them is on the move, defenders are often left chasing shadows.
In tight spaces, they are too strong to be dispossessed, and in open space, defenders lack the pace to catch up with them. As a result, opponents often resort to marking them with multiple defenders or parking the bus.
Finishing Ability
Zambia is blessed with many fast, skilful, and physically gifted attackers, but Banda’s finishing ability sets her apart. She is often described as the most complete women’s footballer in the world. Bar Racheal Kundananji, Mukoma, is the only other Copper Queens player who has shown similar relentlessness in front of the goal.
At the 2024 COSAFA Women’s Championship, Mukoma scored four goals to finish as joint top scorer of the tournament. Just three months into her debut season in China, she is already among the best goalscorers in the league.
Whether it’s a one-on-one situation, an acrobatic finish, or a precise strike against a compact defence, Mukoma has shown she can deliver.
Positional Versatility
A key factor behind Banda’s dominance is her positional versatility. She can play as a centre forward, on the left or the right wing, constantly shifting positions and making it difficult for defenders to track her.
Mukoma has shown the same level of adaptability. At the 2024 COSAFA Championship, she caused problems from the right wing. In China, she has often featured on the left wing or through the middle and to the right.
This versatility affords coaches the flexibility to adjust tactics and formations with ease.
VERDICT
Mukoma has the strength, pace, dribbling skill, finishing ability, and positional intelligence to reach the elite level that Barbra Banda has set.
However, what separates great players like Banda from the rest is consistency and the ability to deliver when it matters most. If Mukoma can develop that same clutch factor, there is every reason to believe she can be the next Banda.
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