Lameck Banda cleared to play for Al Swehly amid Lecce dispute

Zambia international Lameck Banda has reportedly been cleared by FIFA to represent Al Swehly despite an unresolved contractual disagreement with Italian club Lecce. His International Transfer Certificate has been delivered to Libya, making him eligible for the club’s CAF Champions League campaign.

Banda is understood to have agreed a three-year deal with the Libyan champions after Al Swehly secured his signing ahead of Lecce. The 25-year-old’s arrival comes as the two clubs continue to hold different positions over whether he was still tied to the Italian side.

Lecce maintains that Banda remains contracted until June 2027. Club president Saverio Sticchi Damiani has said Lecce activated an extension option and that Banda signed a document accepting the renewal. The club referred the case to FIFA after the player did not return for pre-season.

Al Swehly disputes that interpretation. The Libyan club’s position is that Banda was able to leave because the extension was not completed through a mutually agreed new contract. FIFA’s reported clearance allows him to play for now, but it does not determine which side is correct in the underlying dispute.

The registration process is linked to changes in FIFA’s rules after the 2024 European Court of Justice ruling in the Lassana Diarra case. Under the amended framework, a player involved in a contract case can receive provisional registration while FIFA’s relevant tribunal examines the matter.

Lecce could still seek compensation if it proves that Banda ended a valid contract without just cause. FIFA would also have to consider whether Al Swehly contributed to any breach. On the field, Banda is set to be available when Al Swehly face Zanzibar’s KVZ FC in the CAF Champions League first preliminary round. Progress would set up a second-round meeting with Tunisian club Espérance Sportive de Tunis.