Manager Bruce Mwape of Zambia’s women’s national football team has been accused of inappropriate behavior towards one of his players just two days prior to their historic win against Costa Rica in the Women’s World Cup. FIFA has confirmed receiving an official complaint regarding the incident, which came to light after Zambia celebrated their first World Cup victory in New Zealand.
Earlier this year, The Guardian revealed that Mwape was being investigated for allegations of sexual misconduct. A team source disclosed that several players witnessed Mwape touching a teammate’s chest on Friday, following a training session, stating that it was not appropriate for a coach to engage in such behavior.
Although witnesses considered reporting the incident immediately, they decided to wait until after the tournament due to concerns about destabilizing the team and potential repercussions on their selection. Despite suffering 5-0 defeats against Spain and Japan, Zambia finished third in their group after defeating Costa Rica 3-1.
According to sources, the allegation against Mwape was reported to a FIFA delegate who has been accompanying the team throughout their stay in New Zealand. Andrew Kamanga, President of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ), is said to be aware of the incident.
Both the FAZ and Mwape have not responded to The Guardian’s inquiries, while a FIFA spokesperson stated that the organization takes any allegation of misconduct seriously, and a thorough investigation is currently underway. FIFA encourages anyone in football who wants to report an incident to use their confidential reporting platform.
Mwape became Zambia’s coach in May 2018 and played a significant role in their qualification for the World Cup for the first time. In September 2022, the FAZ referred an investigation into sexual abuse allegations in women’s football to FIFA. Mwape and under-17s coach Kaluba Kangwa were among the FAZ employees investigated.
One player, who requested anonymity, previously told The Guardian that it was normal for the coach to sleep with players on their team. FIFA confirmed that it was aware of the accusations against Mwape and had been in contact with the FAZ. However, they were unable to comment on ongoing investigations.
In addition to these allegations, most of Zambia’s players and some staff members have allegedly not been paid since the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, despite assurances from President Hakainde Hichilema. Some individuals are owed up to $60,000, including a $5,000 win bonus for defeating Costa Rica.
FIFA recently announced that they would pay every player in the Women’s World Cup a minimum of $30,000, as a result of collective action by over 150 national team players and negotiations with the players’ union Fifpro. There are concerns among Zambia’s players that they may not receive the money owed to them, as FIFA will distribute it through the national federations.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino has stated that payments will be made through the associations, who will then distribute the funds to the players taking into account factors such as taxation and residence. Infantino acknowledged the limitations in FIFA’s ability to directly provide payment, emphasizing that any disbursement would depend on generated funds.
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