FIGC Blocks Lameck Banda’s Move to Libya Amid Contract Dispute
Lameck Banda’s stand-off with Lecce has taken a dramatic turn, with Italy’s football authorities stepping in and shutting the door on his proposed move to Libya.
The FIGC has formally refused to authorise the winger’s transfer to Swehly SC, backing Lecce’s position that the Zambia international remains under contract with the Serie A club until June 30, 2027. The dispute now looks destined to land on FIFA’s desk.
From pre-season no-show to full-blown standoff
Banda has been missing from Lecce for over a month. He failed to report back for pre-season and then disappeared from the club’s radar, ignoring calls from both Lecce and his official agent for weeks.
What began as an unexplained absence escalated quickly. When Banda was later seen in the company of Swehly SC directors — the same Libyan club whose bid Lecce had rejected earlier in the summer — alarm spread in Apulia. For Lecce, this was no longer just a disciplinary issue; it was a direct challenge to their contractual grip on one of their key attacking talents.
Contract confusion at the heart of the dispute
According to reports, Banda insists he believed his deal with Lecce expired on June 30, 2026, and that he would be free to sign elsewhere from July 1 of that year. The crucial detail is an option clause that Lecce exercised, extending his contract by a further season.
Banda is said to contest that option, claiming he was unaware of it and refusing to recognise the extension. Lecce, supported now by the FIGC’s official stance, argue the paperwork is clear and binding through to 2027.
That legal certainty is exactly what the FIGC leaned on when the Libyan Federation submitted a request to register Banda’s transfer to Swehly SC. The Italian body blocked it, confirming in its statement that the player is still tied to Lecce until June 30, 2027.
Heading for a global stage
With the Italian route closed, the next move appears obvious. Swehly SC, the Libyan Federation, or Banda’s camp can now turn to FIFA and ask world football’s governing body to rule on the validity of the contract and Lecce’s option clause.
Until that happens, Lecce hold the registration, Banda remains AWOL, and a once-promising relationship between club and player sits frozen in limbo. The question now is not where he wants to play, but who will ultimately decide where he’s allowed to.
