Zambia captain Barbra Banda has been ruled out of the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco after failing gender eligibility tests.
Despite being allowed to play in last year’s Olympic Games, the 22-year-old forward has failed to meet the criteria required by Fifa.
According to the President of Zambia’s FA, Andrew Kamanga, all the players had to undergo gender verification and unfortunately Barbra did not meet the criteria set by Caf.
Zambia opened their Group C campaign with a 0-0 draw against three-time runners-up Cameroon on Sunday and face Tunisia on Wednesday prior to finishing the group with a clash against debutants Togo at the weekend.
There is, however, confusion over the suspension of Banda, who shot to global prominence when becoming the first player to score back-to-back Olympic hat-tricks in Tokyo.
