FIFA Clears Lameck Banda to Play for Al-Swehly Amid Lecce Dispute
FIFA has cleared Zambian winger Lameck Banda to play for Libyan club Al-Swehly after rejecting a request from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to block his transfer amid an ongoing contractual dispute with US Lecce.
Banda’s International Transfer Certificate (ITC) has been delivered to Libya, allowing the 25-year-old winger to officially represent Al-Swehly as the club prepares for its CAF Champions League campaign.
According to sources, Banda completed his move to Al-Swehly after his contract with Lecce was understood to have expired on 30 June 2026. However, Lecce maintains that it exercised an extension option on the player’s contract before his departure.
Al-Swehly, which signed Banda on 25 July 2026, maintains that the Zambian was a free agent at the time of the transfer and was not bound to Lecce for the 2026/27 season.
The Libyan club has also rejected Lecce’s compensation claim, arguing that there was no new bilateral agreement, contract renewal, addendum or signed document extending Banda’s stay beyond June 30.
Al-Swehly further argued that Lecce could not create a new contractual obligation simply by exercising an option unilaterally, announcing the extension on its website or registering it with the FIGC without Banda’s consent and agreement on new financial terms.
Despite FIFA clearing the transfer and allowing Banda’s ITC to be issued, the dispute is not yet over. Lecce is understood to be preparing to pursue the matter further as the Italian club continues to seek compensation over the player’s departure.
For now, however, Banda is free to feature for Al-Swehly, giving the Zambian international the opportunity to begin a new chapter in Libya while the contractual battle with Lecce continues.
