FIGC Blocks Banda Transfer to Libyan Club

Lameck Banda’s disappearance has gone from internal drama to international case. Now Italy’s football authorities have stepped in.

The FIGC has formally sided with Lecce and refused to authorise the Zambian winger’s proposed transfer to Libyan side Swehly SC, confirming that Banda remains under contract with the Serie A club until June 30, 2027. The dispute could now land on FIFA’s desk.

This is the latest twist in a saga that has dragged on for weeks.

Banda failed to report back for pre-season over a month ago. Lecce waited. He didn’t show. Calls went unanswered, messages ignored. The club heard nothing from the player, nor from his official agent, as the silence stretched into weeks and pre-season plans moved on without him.

Then came the photographs.

Banda was spotted in the company of directors from Swehly SC – also known as Asswehly Sports Club – the Libyan club that had already seen an offer for him rejected earlier in the summer. For Lecce, that sighting was more than a curiosity. It was a warning sign.

The Libyan Federation subsequently submitted a transfer request for Banda. On Friday, the FIGC made its position clear: no green light, no move. The Italian body blocked the transfer, upholding Lecce’s claim that the player is still tied to the club.

At the heart of the row is a contract clause. Reports in Italy state that Banda believes he became a free agent on July 1, 2026. He is said to contest Lecce’s use of an option that allows the club to extend his deal by a further year, through the 2026-27 season.

Lecce triggered that option. Banda, according to those same reports, does not recognise it.

The FIGC’s official statement leaves no room for interpretation from its side: Banda is registered with Lecce until June 30, 2027. That backing gives the club significant legal weight and makes any unilateral move to Swehly SC a potential flashpoint in front of FIFA.

For Lecce, this is a player who, on his day, can change games – as he did at the Stadio Via del Mare against Genoa CFC in May 2026, when he struck the opening goal in a crucial Serie A fixture. For Banda, it is now about more than minutes on the pitch. It is about his professional status, his freedom to move, and who ultimately controls his next step.

With Italy’s federation now firmly on Lecce’s side, the battle lines are drawn. The next decision may not come from a coach or a sporting director, but from football’s global governing body.