Zambia captain Barbra Banda will miss the rest of the Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) after failing gender eligibility tests.
Banda failed to meet the criteria required by global governing body FIFA, whose gender rules the Confederation of African Football (CAF defers to regarding WAFCON.
Banda made history on the international stage by soring back-to-back hat tricks against the Netherlands and China at the Tokyo Olympics. That was Zambia’s first appearance in women’s soccer at the World Cup or the Olympics, and Banda’s second hat trick powered a 4-4 draw against China.
"All the players had to undergo gender verification, a Caf requirement, and unfortunately she did not meet the criteria set by Caf," Andrew Kamanga, the president of Zambia's FA (Faz), told BBC Sport Africa.
"It's unfortunate that we find ourselves going into the tournament without our best players."
The International Olympic Committee and FIFA have different eligibility standards for gender verification, hence Banda’s appearance in the Olympics but not the Cup of Nations.