Bay FC star Racheal Kundananji is among four women’s soccer players from Zambia who have been removed from the national team ahead of upcoming international matches due to added challenges entering the United States.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) announced on Wednesday that captain Barbra Banda, Prisca Chilufya, Grace Chanda and Kundananji, all of whom play for clubs in the US, won’t be traveling to China for the Yangchuan International Tournament.
Travel to and from the US has become more difficult under the Trump administration with reports of detentions and visas being revoked for those entering the country.
Kundananji, 24, is in her second season with Bay FC after setting the then-world record for a transfer fee of $800,000 to join the club from Madrid CFF. She became the first Zambian to play in an NWSL match and the first to score a goal when she debuted in Bay FC’s home opener 13 months ago. Banda, Chilufya and Chanda all play for the Orlando Pride.
Bay FC officials confirmed Kundananji is in the Bay Area training with the team and will not travel to China. Bay FC (1-1-1) plays its next match April 13 against Chicago Stars FC at PayPal Park.
Zambia’s women’s national team, nicknamed the Copper Queens, will face Thailand at the Yangchuan International Tournament in Chongqing, China on Saturday. A win would see them face either the host nation or Uzbekistan in the final on April 8.
The FAZ said that the decision to exclude the quartet from upcoming games owed to “additional travel measures” being introduced by the new administration.
“I wish to confirm that the Orlando Pride trio of Barbra Banda, Grace Chanda and Prisca Chilufya as well as Rachael Kundananji of Bay FC will not be available for the two international friendly matches in China,” general secretary Reuben Kamanga said in the announcement from FAZ.
“After working through the process instigated by recently introduced measures it was decided that it is in the best interest of our players to skip this assignment.
“They will definitely be available for future assignments as they were for the last window when we played Malawi. The technical bench has since roped in replacements to ensure that the team remains competitive.”
Kamanga added that the decision was made after receiving advice from the United States of America Zambian mission in Washington, as well as officials with Bay FC and the Orlando Pride.
CNN.com contributed to this report.
