Banda inspires Highlanders Royals

Sisasenkosi Ncube
FOOTBALL long ceased being a manaï¿½ï¿½s game in Zimbabwe and the Mighty Warriors-female national team- has been to the Olympics, thereaï¿½ï¿½s also a growing womenaï¿½ï¿½s top flight league which has given birth to female football stars such as Dina Rose Banda.

At a tender age of 15, Banda the daughter of former Highlanders dribbling wizard, Tanny Banda, is turning out to be the mainstay of Highlanders Royals striking force.

Highlanders Royals are an all-female football outfit that plays in the Zifa Southern Region Division One Womenaï¿½ï¿½s League.

Bandaaï¿½ï¿½s recent series of top drawer performances have seen Royals collecting maximum points from their last three games, after failing to register a single win in the first half of the season.

Last Saturday, the striker did not disappoint as she produced some sublime skills in a match that could have seen Royals scoring four to five goals against Street Set, a club they finally edged 1-0 courtesy of a Geraldine Nyandoro strike at Sizinda Grounds.

aï¿½?She is a very good player who can play in the attacking position very well,aï¿½? said Royals stand-in coach, Melusi Sibanda.

aï¿½?She has also provided us with many attacking options,aï¿½? added the former Bosso midfielder.

The Royals captain, Tolence Tazira also showered praises on the nimble footed Banda saying she had an aï¿½?inborn football talentaï¿½?.

aï¿½?She (Banda) is naturally talented. She has skill and she passes the ball well.Aï¿½ Iaï¿½ï¿½m happy she is part of our team and we train hard together so that we continue winning matches,aï¿½? said Tazira.

Banda left her former club ZRP Bulawayo in July to join Highlanders Royals after advice from her legendary father, Tanny.

Asked about how she was finding the going at Royals, Banda, who is also a Form Three pupil at Sobukhazi High School, said the presence of equally talented players in the team was positively impacting on her football strength. She added that she was looking forward to achieving many things with her current team.

aï¿½?I want to score as many goals as I can so that my team can have a better chance of winning the league. We will need to help each other develop as players,aï¿½? she said.

The young striker has also been drafted into the Bulawayoaï¿½ï¿½s Under 17 squad together with her fellow teammates that include Nobukhosi Ngwenya, Nonhlanhla Fumapano and Tazira.

Highlanders Royals team manager, Jacqueline Ngwenya also heaped praises on the gifted young forward saying the girl had brought a different striking dimension in their team hence their recent posting of consecutive victories.

Ngwenya also added that she was happy with the playersaï¿½ï¿½ performance and the support that the executive was giving to the team.

aï¿½?I would like to thank the team management for their patience with us even when the team was badly out of form,aï¿½? she added.

Coach Sibanda said he was generally happy with the whole teamaï¿½ï¿½s performance and he was looking forward to their next league fixture against Cowdray Park Queens at Highlanders Club House grounds on Saturday.