Big news dropped Friday from the NWSL, and man, it’s a gut punch: three players from the Zambian women’s national team are out, sidelined by a multi-week Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocol due to Ebola travel restrictions. The league announced it in a statement, confirming the players are all “in excellent health,” which is the most important thing, but it doesn’t make their absence any easier for their clubs.
The Protocols, The Games, And Why It’s Happening
So, what’s the deal? After playing with the Zambian Women’s National Team in the recent international window, these players are observing U.S. government public health re-entry protocols for travelers returning from the East African region. The NWSL is working with the clubs and U.S. immigration to get them back safely. The Copper Queens, as they’re known, played two matches against Uganda for CAF qualification for the 2028 Olympics. They were in Uganda on October 8th, losing 2-1, before heading back to Zambia for a decisive 4-1 win at home on October 13th. Current CDC guidelines are the reason for this whole mess: non-U.S. citizens traveling from Uganda, along with the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, have to wait 21 days before returning to the United States because of concerns about an Ebola outbreak. That 21-day clock likely started when they left Uganda after that first match, meaning it should expire sometime towards the end of October.
Who’s Out And What It Means For Their Teams
Three forwards were called up to the Zambian team during this window, and they’re the ones affected: Barbra Banda from Orlando Pride, Prisca Chilufya from Angel City FC, and Racheal Kundananji from Chicago Stars. With this timeline, it looks like they’re going to miss a minimum of two games, maybe even all three of the remaining regular season matches. And that is huge, especially for some teams.
Banda is an absolute force, one of the highest-scoring players in the league, currently sitting second with 17 goals this season. Her team, Orlando Pride, is in 11th place and functionally eliminated from the postseason, so while her absence hurts, it doesn’t change their playoff picture. Kundananji, who Chicago just acquired last week after three seasons with Bay FC, is on a team that’s dead last and has been out of playoff contention for weeks.
But here’s where it gets real: Prisca Chilufya and Angel City FC. Angel City is currently in sixth place in the league, fighting tooth and nail to stay in the top eight and advance to the postseason. Losing a player like Chilufya, especially in this crucial stretch, could be a massive blow. The NWSL regular season wraps up with all games on November 1st, kicking off at 5 p.m. ET for a “Decision Day” format. Every point counts, and Angel City is absolutely sweating this. We’re talking about their season on the line.
Here’s hoping for their safe and speedy return, not just for their clubs, but for the players themselves. What a brutal break to finish out the regular season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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