Four NWSL based players from the Zambia women's national team have withdrawn from international duty this month, and the The Football Association of Zambia have cited concerns over the current U.S. government travel policy as the reason.
Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda, Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda, along with Bay FC's Rachael Kundananji will all remain the United States while Zambia compete in the Yongchuan International Tournament in China.
"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,” general secretary of the nation's FA Reuben Kamanga said in a statement this week.
@FAZFootball confirms that the USA-based quartet of Barbra Banda, Rachael Kundananji, Prisca Chilufya and Grace Chanda will miss the 2025 Yongchuan International Tournament due to new travel measures in the US 🇺🇸
— FAZ (@FAZFootball) April 2, 2025
FAZ general secretary Reuben Kamanga assures fans that… pic.twitter.com/GiWuP7AKZd
All four players are expected to travel during future international windows, but due to recent policy changes by the current presidential administration in the United States, the team has opted to play it safe.
📸 VALERY HACHE - AFP or Licensors
