Controversy Continues! Two Players on Zambia’s Women’s Football Team Test High for Testosterone – Previously Banned from African Cup

On July 31, according to British media The Telegraph, two players of the Zambian women’s football team, Bande and Kunda Nanji, who scored five goals in a single match at the Paris Olympic Games, both had significantly elevated testosterone levels, which led to their ban from participating in the 2022 Women’s Africa Cup.

In the Olympic women’s football group stage match where Zambia lost 5-6 against Australia, Bande performed excellently with a hat-trick, while Kunda Nanji scored twice. Despite Zambia’s eventual loss, the performance of these two players was incredibly impressive.

However, both players have had issues with elevated testosterone levels, leading to their ban by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) from the 2022 African Cup. It is astonishing that although Bande and Kunda Nanji’s testosterone levels did not meet the CAF’s standards, they participated in the 2023 Women’s World Cup and this year’s Paris Olympics. This is because the rules set by FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) are more lenient, and compliance is entirely determined by the participating associations.

The Zambian Football Association stated that they were aware of Bande’s elevated testosterone levels and had already initiated hormone suppression treatment for her. However, Kunda Nanji refused to take suppressants due to concerns about potential side effects on her body.

The fact that these two players with elevated testosterone levels were not only allowed to participate in the Olympics but also performed exceptionally well has sparked dissatisfaction among Australian media, who criticized: “The IOC’s gender testing is not strict enough, severely damaging its credibility.”