Gotham FC, Orlando Pride, and the National Women`s Soccer League (NWSL) have publicly voiced their strong support for Orlando Pride player Barbra Banda. This comes after an incident involving hateful language directed at Banda during Gotham FC`s home game against Orlando Pride on Sunday.
Gotham FC stated they are aware of the incident and condemn such behavior, emphasizing it has no place in the league or stadiums. The club confirmed that stadium security responded immediately, addressed the individual involved, and monitored the situation for the remainder of the game. Gotham FC and the NWSL are collaborating to investigate further and implement appropriate actions under the league`s Fan Code of Conduct.
Orlando Pride and the NWSL also released separate statements reiterating their support for Banda and outlining further steps to address the issue.
Delayed Response to Previous Online Abuse
Gotham FC mentioned reaching out to Orlando Pride leadership to offer apologies and support on Monday. This public statement is the first league-wide response since Banda faced significant online bullying in November after being named BBC Women`s Footballer of the Year.
The online abuse included attacks from public figures, such as author J.K. Rowling, who criticized the BBC award and alluded to misgendering Banda with an offensive social media post.
Following the online attacks in November, Orlando Pride, the NWSL Players Association, and NWSLPA executive director Meghann Burke all expressed their support for Banda. Burke directly responded to Rowling, defending Banda against the hateful comments.
Addressing Abuse On and Off the Field
This recent incident shows that abusive rhetoric has moved from online platforms into NWSL games, highlighting a failure to protect Banda outside of the players` union.
Barbra Banda is a prominent player, being a 2024 NWSL MVP finalist, reigning NWSL Shield winner, and NWSL Champion. Her profile rose after impressive performances for Zambia in the Olympics and subsequent success in the NWSL. This increased visibility unfortunately led to racist and transphobic abuse after her BBC award win.
Gotham FC reported that the fan using abusive language was addressed by security and monitored, but not removed from the stadium.
Orlando Pride is scheduled to host San Diego Wave FC on Saturday at Inter & Co Stadium.
