Lameck Banda curled home a sublime stoppage-time free kick to seal a priceless 2-1 Serie A victory for US Lecce against Udinese and end the Salento club’s long wait for a win.
Introduced from the bench, the Zambian winger produced a moment of pure quality in the 90th minute, bending a right-footed set piece beyond the Udinese wall and goalkeeper Maduka Okoye to send the Stadio Via del Mare into raptures. It was a goal worthy of winning any match – and one that carried huge significance for head coach Eusebio Di Francesco and his side.
Lecce had not tasted victory for almost two months, but Banda’s gem ensured they finally returned to winning ways, picking up three crucial points in their battle to climb away from danger.
The hosts had made a dream start, with Omri Gandelman capitalising on a defensive mix-up to put Lecce ahead after just five minutes. Udinese centre-back Oumar Solet hesitated under pressure, Jesper Karlström miscontrolled the loose ball, and Gandelman reacted quickest to fire home from close range.
Lecce threatened to double their lead soon after, Nicola Sansone’s free kick narrowly clearing the crossbar, but momentum swung midway through the first half. In the 24th minute, Kialonda Gaspar arrived late in a challenge on Jordan Zemura inside the area, handing Udinese a route back into the contest. Solet stepped up from the penalty spot, calmly wrong-footing Wladimiro Falcone to level the scores and atone for his earlier error.
What followed was a scrappy, low-tempo second half, punctuated by technical mistakes and limited attacking quality from both sides. Lecce pushed, with Rares Ilie Veiga forcing a smart save from Okoye on the hour, while Udinese struggled to offer any real threat despite changes from coach Kosta Runjaić.
As frustration grew among the home fans, Lecce still showed greater intent. Gandelman, the standout performer for much of the afternoon, struck the crossbar late on and moments later won the free kick that would decide the match.
From there, it was Banda’s moment.
Standing over the ball just outside the area, the Chipolopolo winger whipped a perfect strike with his right foot, finding the top corner and sparking wild celebrations. The goal earned Banda the Sorrisi da Panini Player of the Match award and underlined his growing influence.
The strike took Banda to five goal contributions for the season – three goals and two assists – and reinforced his value to Di Francesco’s side, particularly as an impact player capable of changing games in an instant.
