- Commentator lashes out at two Zambian footballers
- Barbra Banda and Racheal Kundananji scored against the Aussies
- Zelic said both players failed the gender test and were suspended as a result
Outspoken Australian football commentator Lucy Zelic has slammed the International Olympic Committee for allowing two Zambian women’s footballers to play in Paris, claiming they had previously been suspended for failing a gender test.
Barbra Banda scored a hat-trick and Racheal Kundananji netted twice as the African side gave Australia the fright of their lives before the Matildas won their group match 6-5 on Monday.
In July 2022, Banda was banned from competing in the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after reportedly failing a gender eligibility test, in breach of FIFA rules.
The year before, she had been allowed to participate in the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Kundananji was also reportedly banned from WAFCON because her testosterone levels were higher than permitted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
however, the Telegraph The newspaper investigated the situation and found that both players had been banned from the tournament for refusing to take hormone-suppressing drugs when their testosterone levels exceeded CAF-allowed levels.
The publication reveals that the players never took a gender test.
Zelic described the scandal surrounding Banda and Kundananji in a social media post on Tuesday morning as “the elephant in the room.”
Lucy Zelic called the fact that two Zambian football stars were allowed to play at the Paris Olympics ‘the elephant in the room’ after she claimed they both failed gender testing
Barbra Banda (pictured) scored a hat-trick against the Matildas after previously being banned from a tournament in Africa for allegedly having too much testosterone to pass a gender test
Zambia’s Racheal Kundananji (pictured) scored twice against Australia. She would have been in the same position as Banda when it came to Tests
“In 2022, Zambia women’s national team striker Barbra Banda and her teammates were stripped of the opportunity to represent their country at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after they ‘failed to pass gender eligibility tests,’” Zelic wrote.
In addition to Banda, three teammates, including striker Racheal Kundananji, were also banned from Zambia’s World Cup qualifiers.
‘However, in 2023, these players were allowed to compete in the Women’s World Cup because FIFA ‘conducted their own internal gender assessments’.
“We have the right to ask questions. We have the right to know why the failed gender verification tests that were conducted in 2022 were completely ignored by FIFA in 2023 and are still being ignored in 2024.”
Zelic was supported in her anger by former Liberal Party candidate Katherine Deves. According to X, she went much further than the football expert, but provided no evidence for a shocking claim.
Pictured: The tweet in which Zelic claimed the players were suspended for ‘failing gender eligibility test’
Former Liberal Party Senate candidate Katherine Deves (pictured) claimed Banda is male – but provided no evidence. Banda was identified as female at birth
‘Australia’s Matildas defeated Zambia 6-5 #Paris2024. Barbara [sic] Banda is the “star” player for Zambia. The mainstream media will not tell you that Banda is a man,” Deves wrote.
Banda was identified as a girl at birth.
According to the International Olympic Committee’s 2021 guidelines on gender identity and gender variation, the organization aims to ensure that “athletes are not excluded solely on the basis of their transgender identity or gender variation.” At the same time, the organization strives to create an environment where “no competitor has an unfair and disproportionate advantage over the rest.”
FIFA’s rules for transgender athletes state that participating federations, such as the CAF or Football Australia, “must verify that all eligible players are the correct gender prior to nomination for the national team … by actively investigating any observed deviations in secondary sex characteristics.”