Barbra Banda was 22 years old and had just achieved something no woman had ever done at an Olympic Games: score two consecutive hat tricks, against the Netherlands and China, six goals in two matches.
In July 2022, she traveled to Morocco with the Zambia national team to play in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations… and was unable to take the field. According to the report cited by Sports Illustrated, her testosterone levels exceeded the limit set by CAF. Andrew Kamanga, president of the Zambian federation, told BBC Sport Africa: all players had to undergo gender verification, and she did not meet the criteria.
CAF denies this: its director of communications says no such decision was made by its medical committee. There is also no agreement about the medication: some sources say she took drugs to lower her testosterone, but it was not enough; others say she refused because of the possible side effects. Human Rights Watch said her rights had been violated. Zambia lost 1-0 to South Africa in the semifinals without her.
But that controversy did not slow her career. Now 26, Barbra Banda is dominating American soccer with the Orlando Pride. In the 2026 season, she has scored 17 goals in 23 NWSL matches, in one of the most important women’s leagues in the world. In 2024, she was crowned champion and named the final’s best player, as well as receiving the BBC award for Women’s Footballer of the Year. Her performances have been so impressive that the club extended her contract through 2029, cementing her status as one of the biggest stars in women’s soccer.