COPPER Queens Captain Barbra Banda has ranked 14th in the 2025 Ballon d’Or, down from 12th last year, when she became the highest-ranked African woman in the award’s history. Banda and Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga were unable to break into the top 10 of the 2025 Women’s Ballon d’Or rankings, but their inclusion among the world’s best remains a significant milestone for African football. The final standings, revealed in Paris on September 22 saw Banda and Chawinga finish in 14th and 17th place respectively. The announcement took place at the prestigious Théâtre du Châtelet, which once again hosted football’s elite for the highly anticipated Ballon d’Or gala. Banda, the dynamic Copper Queens striker who currently stars for Orlando Pride in the...