Enlarge image
Barbra Banda: Two Olympic Games, six goals
Photo:
AMR ABDALLAH DALSH / REUTERS
Barbra Banda has made her mark in the history of Olympic football.
The 21-year-old striker from Zambia scored three goals in a 4: 4 against the Chinese selection.
It was the second hat trick for Banda after 3:10 in the Zambian Olympic opener against the Netherlands last Wednesday.
Never has a player performed two hat tricks in the same Olympic football tournament, never has a female footballer scored more goals in them.
Only Canada's star player Christine Sinclair has scored six goals so far.
That was at the 2012 Games in London.
The tournament in Tokyo is the seventh in Olympic history.
In the afternoon Vivianne Miedema drew level with Banda and Sinclair.
The exceptional Dutch player scored twice in the 3: 3 against Brazil.
Against Zambia, Miedema, 25, had four hits.
Unlike Miedema, Sinclair or top scorer like Melanie Behringer (five goals for Germany in 2016) or the Brazilian Cristiane (five each in 2004 and 2008), Banda does not play in a top team.
On the contrary: Zambia is considered a big outsider and is participating in the Olympics for the first time.
No participant in these games is lower in the world rankings (104th place).
In Group F, the selection is currently in last place behind China (number 15 in the world rankings) and the co-favorites from Brazil and the Netherlands, goal difference: 7:14.
Four goals against Zambia
China's star striker Wang Shuan was even more successful in a direct duel than Banda, the attacker who already played for top club Paris Saint-Germain, scored four times in the 4: 4 against Zambia. However, she had previously received nothing in the 5-0 draw against Brazil. At Rifu's Miyagi Stadium, Zambia were now 3-1 back, then Banda converted a penalty and turned the game around after the break. Wang Shuan made the late equalizer for the Chinese.
Banda is even under contract in China.
She storms for Shanghai Shengli and was the top scorer with 18 goals.
She had previously played in Spain, becoming the first Zambian soccer player to make it to Europe.
In 28 games over two seasons, she scored 16 goals for Logrono.
Then she moved to China.
A return to Europe is not exactly unlikely with appearances like now at the Olympics.
Then probably at a bigger club than Logrono.
mon / AP / Reuters