Copper Queens striker Ochumba Oseke Lubanji is expected to be sidelined for six months after suffering an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury.
Lubanji had recently made a promising move to Chinese Women’s Super League side Changchun Dazhong, but the injury has cast uncertainty over her fresh start at the club.
The injury dates back to last month’s Four Nations Tournament in China, where Lubanji sustained the ACL tear during Zambia’s match against Uzbekistan.
As a result, Lubanji is now expected to miss the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON), scheduled to take place in Morocco from July 5 to 26, 2025.
A source close to the player confirmed the extent of the injury: “She is out for six months,” the source revealed.
The source also indicated that surgery will be required for her recovery. “She needs to undergo surgery,” the source stated.
FAZ Statement on Ochumba’s injury
Following reports of the player’s injury, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) told BolaNews they are aware of her condition and have explained the reasons behind the delay in her treatment.
“The truth of the matter is that we were told about the situation with Ochumba. We requested the medical reports, which were examined by our medical team, and we got in touch with our colleagues, including the club, to see what can be done,” FAZ secretary general Reuben Kamanga told BolaNews. “We also got in touch with our colleagues, the China Football Association which had organized the tournament and the tournament covered pretty much all the aspects of the organisation, including medicals and other requirements for the teams in camp.”
“Our position is that after a meeting with our colleagues the China federation, she should be attended to,” Kamanga added.
A seasoned Copper Queens forward, Lubanji is a two-time COSAFA Women’s Championship winner and played a key role in Zambia’s bronze medal finish at the 2022 WAFCON.
Her club, Changchun Dazhong, has yet to release an official statement on the injury, and efforts to obtain a comment were unsuccessful at the time of publication.
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