Kabange Mupopo is on the brink of making history as the first Zambian to compete in the Olympics, both as an athlete and a footballer. She will achieve this remarkable feat if she is selected for Bruce Mwape’s final squad heading to Paris.
Mupopo, who helped Zambia qualify for the 2014 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) and captained the team in Namibia, switched from football to athletics that year. She clocked 53.44 seconds in her first official 400-meter race.
Her athletic career soared as she won silver in the African Championships in 2014 and broke the Zambian record. She further improved her record to 50.87 seconds at the 2014 IAAF Continental Cup.
In 2015, she received an 18-month athletics scholarship from the Zambian Olympic Committee, which led her to represent Zambia at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Her athletic journey included winning gold in the 400m at the African Games in Brazzaville and the African Championships in Durban.
However, her dreams were dashed in 2018 when the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) imposed a four-year ban on her for testing positive for a prohibited substance at the World Athletics Championships.
Mupopo’s unexpected return to football
After serving her ban, Mupopo returned to sports, not on the track but back to football, joining Green Buffaloes Women’s Football Club. She received a rare national team call-up from coach Bruce Mwape for the Olympic qualifiers against Ghana earlier this year . She made a successful second debut, scoring in a 3-3 draw in Ndola.
Reflecting on her return and scoring, Mupopo said, “It’s a good feeling. It’s all about helping the team and putting in a lot of effort. We will continue to do our best and win games.” Her strong performance secured her place in the team, contributing to Zambia’s qualification for the Olympics by overcoming Morocco.
Having last appeared at the Olympics as a 400m runner in 2016, Mupopo is now looking forward to competing as a footballer in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which will run from July 24 to August 10.
She expressed her excitement, saying, “It’s an amazing feeling. When you have been there as an athlete, now you are going to be there with the football team. So, it’s a very nice thing. Everyone wants to be at the Olympics; I’m really happy.”
Currently in camp with the team, Mupopo’s historic moment is just days away from becoming a reality.
READ MORE: How Mupopo overcame four-year ban to return to football after ten years
