FIFA has confirmed that a committee is investigating allegations of ‘rubbing the chest’ of a team player within the Zambia women’s national team at the Women’s World Cup.
Zambia’s coach, Bruce Mwape, has been accused of inappropriate behavior towards one of his players, just two days before Zambia’s historic victory over Costa Rica in their final match at the Women’s World Cup. FIFA has confirmed receiving an official complaint regarding the alleged incident, which occurred after Zambia secured their first World Cup win in New Zealand.
Prior to the tournament, The Guardian had disclosed that Mwape was under investigation for allegations of sexual misconduct. FIFA released a statement to ESPN acknowledging the complaint and stating that they are actively investigating the matter. The organization emphasized its commitment to taking any allegation of misconduct seriously and having a transparent process for reporting such incidents in football.
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The Football Association of Zambia’s general secretary expressed surprise at the investigation, as the association had not received any formal complaint from within the team. It’s worth noting that Zambia’s national team program had already been under scrutiny for sexual abuse allegations even before entering the World Cup.
In September, the Football Association of Zambia referred a sexual abuse investigation to FIFA, and last month, The Guardian reported that Mwape was one of the individuals targeted in the investigation, along with the coach of the U-17 team.
In a previous Guardian article, an unnamed player stated that Mwape allegedly required players to consent to engaging in sexual relations with him. These allegations were brought up during a news conference at the World Cup before Zambia’s game against Spain.
A FIFA representative attempted to prevent the question from being asked, but Mwape responded when another reporter questioned whether he should step aside given the “environment” surrounding the team.
Mwape denied any wrongdoing and sought clarification on the alleged negative team environment, stating that he couldn’t retire without a valid reason.
The news conference concluded abruptly after Mwape’s remarks. FIFA continues to investigate the matter, and further details have not been disclosed due to confidentiality reasons.
