Zambia's Barbra Banda will play in the Women's World Cup despite the African Football Confederation saying she does not qualify for women's international competition. Photo: Getty Images/Hagen Hopkins
Barbra Banda's name is spoken with suspense as the Women's World Cup begins. The 23-year-old captain of the Zambian national team, who scored back-to-back hat-tricks for his country at the Tokyo Olympics, also scored two stunning wins this month against Germany, considered one of the favorites in Australia and New Zealand.
Yet her eligibility remains a growing mystery, given how the Zambian federation withdrew her from her last major tournament, the Women's Africa Cup of Nations 2022 years (WAFCON) before she could pass the gender test.
It was reported that Ganga was excluded from last year's competition, which served as the Zambian World Cup qualifier, because she failed the gender testing process. However, Telegraph Sport established that Ganga never took the test, and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) reported that the Zambians chose to leave her out instead.
«I can confirm that CAF has never tested Banda,» the organization said in a statement. «We do not know why she was not included in the squad or registered.»
Zambia admitted that after Banda became a star in the Olympics, they became aware that her abnormally high testosterone levels exceeded the allowed CAF levels and that the attacker was offered a course of hormonal suppression. Sidney Mungala, a spokesman for the team, said last year that Banda was «surprised» to be left off the team roster despite being aware of the testing situation.
Why is FIFA leaving testing to national federations?
Two important questions arise here. First, why, if her testosterone levels were dangerous enough for her to be expelled from WAFCON, does FIFA not see a problem with Ganga taking part in the biggest women's tournament? Second, why is FIFA, which required gender testing back in 2011, now content to leave any testing to the national federations? Where is the oversight?
It is clear that FIFA is actively reviewing its policies regarding players with elevated testosterone levels, listening to the advice of legal and medical experts. But there is also the recognition that it is ultimately guided by the International Olympic Committee.
The problem is that the IOC insists that this is a matter for individual federations, creating a bureaucratic circle in which no one takes responsibility. This is a recipe for huge confusion about Ganga's situation: CAF indicates that she does not meet the criteria for international women's competition, but FIFA insists that she does.
Discussing Banda, Sarah Bareman, FIFA's chief women's football officer, said only that the issue is «extremely complex» and that «a lot of people have an opinion». There is no suggestion that Banda's increased testosterone levels are anything other than natural, but it still has potentially significant implications for the athletic field.
It has been scientifically proven that testosterone provides a performance advantage, making athletes faster and stronger for the long haul. That's why World Athletics, in response to the saga of Caster Semenya, born and raised female but genetically male, has tightened up its policy on runners with gender differences.
The gang, for their part, said she was «very happy and excited» to be leading the Zambian World Cup starting Saturday against Japan. The deadline for any opponents to formally protest her involvement has passed. But questions about her eligibility — and FIFA's relative leniency on the matter — show no sign they're backing down.
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