Zambia’s women’s national football team has withdrawn four of its United States-based players from the upcoming Yongchuan International Tournament in China due to new travel measures introduced by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) announced that captain Barbra Banda, Racheal Kundananji, Prisca Chilufya, and Grace Chanda would not participate in the tournament this month. All four players compete in the U.S. National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL), with Banda, Kundananji, and Chanda playing for Orlando Pride, while Chilufya represents Bay FC.
FAZ cited concerns over “additional travel measures introduced by the new administration,” which have reportedly made it more challenging for non-American residents to re-enter the U.S. after international travel. While Trump’s executive order has yet to confirm a list of restricted countries, there have been reports of increased scrutiny at U.S. borders.
“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,” FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga said in a statement. Despite their absence, FAZ assured that the players would be available for future international fixtures. The Copper Queens are set to face Thailand on April 5 and will then take on either host nation China or Uzbekistan on April 8 in the tournament.
