Zambia are due to take part in the Women’s World Cup (20 July-20 August 2023), where they will face Spain, Japan and Costa Rica in Group C. But coach Bruce Mwape has been accused of sexual abuse by players. The allegations dates back to September 2022.
Bruce Mwape is in for a storm.As he prepares to take part in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the Zambia coach has been named in a nasty affair.The coach has been accused of sexual abuse. The English media outlet The Guardian dropped the bombshell on Saturday 08 July 2023. The Guardian points out that the accusers are female players.
The President of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has broken his silence on the matter. Andrew Kamanga stated that the matter was in the hands of the police.FIFA is also following the case very closely.”We will work with the Zambian police and other relevant stakeholders to deal with this case. We prefer that an independent body like FIFA, which has the capacity to do so, be able to manage the investigations.There is no doubt that we will take sanctions because we have enough rules and regulations within football to deal with it,” he said in a statement. However, Bruce Mwape is not the only one accused. There is also Kalubu Kangwa, the coach of the Under-17s.
FIFA, via The Guardian, has stated that it cannot comment on the matter at present. “Please note that, as a general rule, the independent ethics committee does not comment on whether or not there are ongoing investigations into alleged cases,” it said. “As usual, any information the ethics committee wishes to share will be communicated at its discretion,” a source tells the British media.
Another source, close to the alleged victims, retorted that Bruce Mwape had used threats. They also point the finger at the Federation’s silence. “They are threatened with sanctions if they dare say anything about what happened (…).The federation is turning a blind eye because the women have had good results. It’s their way of showing the public and the authorities a success and a good image. But behind the scenes, it’s very ugly”.It’s an affair that’s likely to make headlines in the coming days.
