Zambia’s U17 Star Hellen Banda Eyes Bright Future After World Cup Qualification

Zambia Under-17 Women’s national team midfielder Hellen Banda believes qualification to the U17 Women’s World Cup is a life-changing opportunity.

She was part of the team that defeated Benin 4-1 in the U17 Women’s World Cup qualifiers on Saturday, concluding the second leg with a 6-2 aggregate victory. The outcome confirmed Zambia’s qualification for the U17 Women’s World Cup, following their 2024 appearance in the Dominican Republic.

During an interview, Hellen expressed her excitement about being part of the team that qualified for the World Cup, marking her first time participating in this global event.

She believes that participating in the tournament will be a life-changing opportunity that can positively impact both her football career and her family.

“What came to my mind was qualification for the World Cup; we wanted it the most,” she said.

“It wasn’t an easy game, but we were motivated by the prospects of playing at the World Cup. It will be my first time at the World Cup. I’m happy because the World Cup is a big stage; it can change my life and that of my parents.”

Hellen also noted that the qualifiers were tough compared to the COSAFA Under-17 Championship, adding that teamwork was key to achieving qualification.

“It was tough playing the World Cup qualifiers compared to the COSAFA. We played some strong teams, but we worked together as a team. I thank God that we have qualified for the World Cup.”

Zambia joins Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Cameroon and host Morocco at this year’s U17 Women’s World Cup to be played from 17 October to 8 November, 2025.