Sports Two goals against Germany
Testosterone levels like a man – debates about World Cup striker
Status: 10.07.2023 | Reading time: 3 minutes
By Robert Schreier, Erik Peters
Testosterone levels like a man – debates about Zambia’s national striker
Barbra Banda scored twice as the Zambian national team almost singlehandedly won the friendly against Germany. However, due to her testosterone levels, there is debate about the captain and her participation in the World Cup.
The women’s national team lost to Zambia. Best player was Barbra Banda, who scored two goals against Germany. Your participation in the World Cup is extremely controversial. For example, she was not allowed to play in the Africa Cup.
It’s a topic that keeps occupying women’s football: Barbra Banda (23) shot the Africans to victory with two goals in the friendly embarrassment of the German women’s national team against Zambia (2: 3) on Friday. But the captain is not only in the spotlight because of her sporting performance.
Because her involvement in a women’s soccer team is extremely controversial. Banda is assumed to be a man. She was not allowed to play at the Africa Cup of Nations 2022, her entitlement to participate had been revoked shortly before. Reason: Banda failed a “gender verification procedure” because of high levels of testosterone (a muscle-building hormone that men usually have more than women).
Germany’s national player Kathrin Hendrich (left) in a duel with Barbra Banda
Quelle: Getty Images
However, the striker was present at a South African tournament, the 2021 Olympic Games and the upcoming World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (July 20th to August 20th). At the request of BILD, the world association Fifa said: “The World Cup participants assure that they carry out their own investigations and that they clearly show that their players are female.”
Decision-making power at FIFA
Such investigations are not normally carried out separately, as almost all players play in a women’s league and have player passes. The Swedish ex-player Nilla Fischer (38) had massively criticized the gender control procedures in the past. She writes in her bio: “We were told that ‘down there’ we should not shave for the coming days and that we will show our genitals to the doctor.”
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Before the 2011 Women’s World Cup in Germany, they had to expose themselves to a doctor to have their gender identity determined. Fifa and the doctors commissioned by the world association had the power to make such tests.
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But what is behind it and how does such a control work? If FIFA has a suspected case or a player is reported as suspicious by another association, the world association can conduct its own investigations.
“It was an exciting experience playing against them”
These are modern methods such as DNA tests or blood tests, but in exceptional cases they can also be physical tests. This will be decided on a case-by-case basis. Means: There is no automated examination procedure. In the vast majority of cases, no player is examined at all.
After the game against Zambia, Germany international Kathy Hendrich (31) said of Banda: “She is exceptional. Her pace and physical presence are something special. It was an exciting experience playing against them. That also helps for the World Cup.”
Banda is at the World Cup, playing with Zambia in the group stage against Spain, Japan and Costa Rica. The discussions about the striker will probably continue.
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The item was written for the sports competence center (WELT, SPORT BILD, BILD) and first published in BILD.