Three players from the Zambian women’s national squad will be absent from several NWSL matches as they adhere to a multi-week protocol established by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) due to travel restrictions related to Ebola, as announced by the league on Friday.
In a statement that was disseminated to various media outlets, the NWSL indicated that these players are all “in excellent health,” although the names of the specific players were not disclosed.
“Following their engagement with the Zambian Women’s National Team during the most recent international window, several players are currently observing U.S. government public health re-entry protocols that are mandated for travelers returning from the East African area,” the league stated in its announcement. “The NWSL is collaborating with its teams and U.S. immigration officials to guarantee the players’ safe return; every player is in excellent health.”
The Copper Queens participated in two matches against Uganda last week as part of the CAF qualification for the 2028 Olympics, competing against the team in Uganda on October 8 and then again in Zambia on October 13. The Zambian squad lost the initial match 2-1 but managed to secure an impressive 4-1 victory during the home game.
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The current guidelines from the CDC specify that non-U.S. citizens coming from Uganda (along with those from the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan) must undergo a 21-day waiting period before returning to the United States, due to concerns regarding an Ebola outbreak.
This 21-day timeline, which presumably started when they departed Uganda after the first match, is expected to conclude towards the end of October. The last matches of the NWSL regular season are scheduled to take place on November 1 in a Decision Day format, with all games beginning at 5 p.m. ET.
Three NWSL players, all of whom are forwards, were selected to the Zambian squad during this period: Barbra Banda from Orlando Pride, Prisca Chilufya from Angel City FC, and Racheal Kundananji from Chicago Stars.
Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda ranks among the league’s highest scorers, having netted 17 goals this season.
(Alex Menendez via Getty Images)
According to the existing timeline, it appears that Banda, Chilufya, and Kundananji are expected to be absent for at least two matches, if not all three remaining games in the regular season.
Banda has consistently been one of the league’s leading scorers over the past few seasons, presently ranked second in the scoring leaderboard with 17 goals. Kundananji was recently signed by Chicago after spending the last three seasons with Bay FC.
Chilufya is the only one among the trio who belongs to a team still vying for a playoff spot: Angel City currently occupies sixth place in the standings and is working to maintain a position in the top eight to secure a postseason berth. The Stars are currently at the bottom of the league and have been out of the playoff race for several weeks, while the Pride sit in 11th place and are effectively eliminated from postseason contention.
