By Angu Lesley
Football Writer,kick442.com-Cameroon
Copper Queens of Zambia star Barbra Banda has been ruled out of Zambia’s AWCON 2022 squad due to an undisclosed reason, multiple sources are reporting.
Banda has been in good form for Zambia and it was thought that coach Bruce Mwape’s team couls be inspired by the 24-year-old after having not played for her country during the last edition of the tournament in 2018.
Banda missed the last edition of the tournament in 2018 under unclear circumstances. This pan African Sports News agency understands Banda failed homonal test thus ruling her out of the tournament.
Coach Mwape had named Banda in his final 23-player squad hoping she inspires the team better their group stage exit in the last appearance of the tournament. Unfortunately, he must look elsewhere for inspiration.
Barbra goals per the ratios of her performance at last year’s Tokyo Olympics where she became the first player to score back-to-back hat-tricks at a single Games, makes her exclusion a big blow.
Zambia will be without Banda when they take on Cameroon in their opening game of the tournament on July 3 at Mohammed V Stadium, Casablanca. The Queens challenge Tunisia three days later before capping group stage commitments against Togo on 9 July.
The absence of Banda is a big boast for Cameroonian defenders who had a rough time dealing with her in the last meeting in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics qualifiers.
Ochumba Oseke and Siomala Mapepa will not feature in the first match against Cameroon on Sunday.
Full Zambia squad:
Goalkeepers: Hazel Nali, Leticia Lungu, Catherine Musonda
Defenders: Esther Banda, Esther Siamfuko, Margaret Belemu, Martha Tembo, Lushomo Mweemba, Agness Musesa, Anita Mulenga, Judith Soko
Midfielders: Misozi Zulu, Ireen Lungu, Mary Wilombe, Evarine Katongo, Avell Chitundu, Maweta Chilenga
Strikers: Xiomara Mapepa, Grace Chanda, Ochumba Lubanji, Noria Sosala, Natasha Nanyangwe.
Copyright 2022©kick442.com.
All rights reserved. This material and any other digital content on this platform may not be reproduced, published, broadcasted, written in full or parts, without a written permission from our management
This site is not responsible for contents displayed by external sites
