Fifa investigating fresh claims Copper Queens coach Bruce Mwape, rubbed player’s chest at World Cup

By theguardian

Zambia’s coach, Bruce Mwape, has been accused of rubbing his hands over the chest of one of his players two days before his country’s historic victory over Costa Rica in their final match at the Women’s World Cup.

Fifa has confirmed it received an official complaint about the alleged incident after Zambia claimed their first win at a World Cup on Monday in New Zealand. Before the tournament the Guardian revealed Mwape was the subject of an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct.


According to a source close to the squad, several players saw Mwape rubbing his hands over the chest of one of their teammates last Friday after training. “It’s not appropriate for a coach to be touching a player’s breasts,” said the source.

Witnesses are understood to have discussed reporting the incident immediately but decided to wait until after their campaign had been completed over fears that they would not be selected for unsettling the team. Zambia had already been eliminated after 5-0 defeats by Spain and Japan but finished third in the group after the 3-1 victory over Costa Rica.

It is understood the allegation against Mwape was reported to a Fifa delegate who has been with the squad throughout their stay in New Zealand. The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) president, Andrew Kamanga, is believed to be aware of the incident.

The FAZ and Mwape did not respond to the Guardian’s questions. A Fifa spokesperson said: “Fifa takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident. We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this is currently being investigated. We cannot provide further details regarding an ongoing investigation for obvious confidentiality reasons.

“Anyone who wishes to report allegations or information related to abuse in football can do so via Fifa’s confidential reporting platform, with all information that is submitted to Fifa handled in the strictest of confidence. In addition, Fifa offers support and assistance to ensure the safety of those who report a safeguarding issue, including witnesses who come forward and give testimony in Fifa judicial cases. Where guilt is established, Fifa takes the strongest possible sanctions, including removing people from the game for life. Our track record demonstrates this.”

Mwape was appointed by Zambia in May 2018 and helped them qualify for the World Cup for the first time. The FAZ said in September 2022 that it had referred an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse in the women’s game to Fifa. Mwape and the under-17s coach Kaluba Kangwa are understood to have been among the FAZ employees who were investigated. Kangwa has left his post despite no official announcement from the FAZ.

“If he [Mwape] wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes,” one player who did not want to be named told the Guardian last month. “It’s normal that the coach sleeps with the players in our team.”

A Fifa spokesperson told the Guardian last year that it was aware of the accusations against Mwape and has been in touch with the FAZ over the case but could not comment on ongoing investigations.

– theguardian.com

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