FIFA investigating Zambia's Women team head coach Bruce Mwape over sexually exploiting players

© Marca

FOOTBALL: FIFA investigating Zambia's Women team head coach Bruce Mwape over sexually exploiting players

Abigael Wafula 08:50 - 11.07.2023

Other Zambian coaches and officials were also accused of sexual misconduct and investigated, including the Under 17s girls' team coach.

The Zambian Women’s World Cup team head coach Bruce Mwape, 63, has been accused by one of the team members of coercing players into having sex with him if they wanted to keep their place in the team.

As reported by Daily Mail, the head coach of the team currently preparing to debut at the Women's World Cup has been accused of sexual misconduct. The case was referred to the world body FIFA last year for investigation, according to a report in The Guardian newspaper.

Daily Mail further reported that other Zambian coaches and officials were also accused of sexual misconduct and investigated, including the Under 17s girls' team coach.

One anonymous female player said: “If he (Mwape) wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes. It’s normal that the coach sleeps with the players in our team.”

Zambia football association president Andrew Kamanga confirmed on Sunday that allegations of sexual misconduct were referred to FIFA and Zambian police last year and said it was a story of the past. Kamanga did not name any of the people facing allegations of wrongdoing.

In line with protocol, FIFA said its independent ethics committee would not comment on whether an investigation was underway. Zambia's FA launched its own investigation last year but did not name any officials, coaches, or players involved at the time.

Zambia qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which starts this month. The men's team, however, has never made it to the World Cup.

Meanwhile, Zambia on Friday had a surprising 3-2 win over two-time World Cup winners Germany in a warmup game for this year's tournament. Zambia captain and star striker Barbra Banda scored twice, including the winning goal in the 12th minute of added time.

Banda has been at the center of another controversy for the Zambian FA after she was withdrawn from last year's Women's African Cup of Nations because of a bungled sex eligibility case. However, the striker had been cleared to play at the Olympics and at the World Cup.

The association and the African football confederation blamed each other for mishandling Banda's case.

In May, Mwape was featured in an interview on the FIFA website, when he spoke about taking Zambia to the World Cup for the first time. In the interview, he claimed that the team's achievement had 'changed football in Zambia' by inspiring many girls to start playing.