The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) has come under severe attack for awarding the 2024 BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year Award to Zambian footballer Barbra Banda.
The Orlando Pride striker was named Women’s Footballer of the Year on November 26 by a panel of experts, including coaches, players, administrators, and journalists.
The 24-year-old Zambian received the award for her outstanding performance for Zambia in the 2024 Olympic Games, the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and her club, Orlando Pride.
Banda was incredible at the Olympic Games, scoring four goals in Paris.
She scored 13 goals for Pride in the 2024 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) regular season, despite only joining in March, and four goals in the playoffs.
She was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the NWSL.
However, what was supposed to be great news for Banda has turned sour with a flurry of attacks on social media directed at her and the BBC.
Notable personalities, including former English footballer Joey Barton and Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies, have been very critical of the BBC and Barbra Banda.
The former Olympic swimmer Sharron Davies posted: “It’s so sad the BBC are actively encouraging the destruction & loss of opportunities for female athletes in sport. I’m so disheartened & disappointed they are actively cheering this unfairness on.”
Joey Barton wrote: “At this point, it’s got to be a noise up… Of all the women footballers they could have chosen. They chose the one closest (in testosterone) to a man. Good ol’ BBC. Time to stop funding their Woke/DEI propaganda.”
Former British sailor Tracy Edwards added: “@BBCSport you are an utter disgrace to broadcasting and journalism.
“From ‘world-renowned source of news’ to ‘international joke and destroyers of women’s sports’. #HoldTheLine #SaveWomensSports.”
Meanwhile, the Women’s Rights Network also chimed in, saying: “A footballer who previously failed two sex verification tests and was banned from the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations has won the @BBCSport Female Footballer of the Year. No words…”
Read some tweets below:
. @BBCSport you are an utter disgrace to broadcasting and journalism. From ‘world renowned source of news’ to ‘international joke and destroyers of women’s sports’. #HoldTheLine #SaveWomensSports https://t.co/5ENLOXlaG9
— Tracy Edwards (@TracyEdwardsMBE) November 26, 2024
Joey Barton and Sharron Davies SLAM the BBC after Barbra Banda wins their Women’s Footballer of the Year award, amid gender eligibility row https://t.co/XhAcxtDmxR pic.twitter.com/MRYkelBJ15
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 26, 2024
Of all the fabulous females footballers the world over the bbc deliberately chose a male to be the best woman’s footballer of the Year! It’s trolling plain & simple. Shameful.
— Sharron Davies MBE (@sharrond62) November 26, 2024
Barbra Banda is a woman. Born a woman, with female reproductive organs, in a country where it is illegal to change sex. Those are the facts. Everything else is performative hatred and political opportunism.
— Ron (@YrPalRon) November 27, 2024
Here @BBCSport @BBCNews …. You made women furious today. Barbara Banda, your choice for “women’s footballer of the year” is a man. You didn’t tell the public this – so women will have to do it. @twelve0fiveUK #HesAMan #BarbraBanda #SaveWomensSports pic.twitter.com/QksFWHoVII
— Jean Hatchet (@JeanHatchet) November 26, 2024
Barbra Banda deserves everything she’s getting. She’s worked so hard against all odds and scrutiny – yet still standing and showing up on the pitch again and again and again! pic.twitter.com/8N2WQmFro1
— Ashley Nakazwe (@_Ruddie) November 28, 2024
We don’t often post about non-Gotham players, but when the bigots show up we’re not going to let it slide.
Barbra Banda deserves her flowers. The backlash she’s getting is another example of the hate, racism, and misogyny so often directed at female athletes of the Global South.
— Cloud 9 | Gotham FC Supporters (@Cloud9GOTH) November 28, 2024
That Telegraph article about Barbra Banda is horrific. And it doesn’t help that this site only uplifts some of the most hateful and bigoted views, as if we’re supposed to engage with these losers like it is some kind of rational discourse. It is so goddamn gross.
— The Cooligans (@SoccerCooligans) November 27, 2024
we have caf and Faz both useless organizations that can’t even stand up for their players.. I hope zambians and Africans can see what the west is trying to do with this Barbra Banda propaganda and stand up for her..
— Tumbuka Bemba royalty 👑♊ (@Bronze_melanin) November 28, 2024
it’s disgusting that people care more about barbra banda’s testerone levels than they do about the fact that she and her teammates have been sexually assaulted by their coach
— niamh (@beforesunsct) November 26, 2024
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