2023-08-04 08:46:47
FIFA has opened an investigation into a complaint of misconduct within the Zambia national football team participating in the Women’s World Cup, pledging harsh punishment if this is proven to have occurred.
FIFA did not mention the details out of respect for confidentiality, but media reports said that the incident related to coach Bruce Mwape, who intentionally touched a female player’s breast, according to some reports.
A FIFA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this matter is currently being investigated. FIFA takes any allegations of misconduct very seriously and has a clear procedure in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident. “.
Allegations of sexual misconduct in the Zambian national team appeared on social media last year, and questions poured in on Mwape regarding these allegations during the current World Cup, which hosts Australia and New Zealand, in which his team’s career ended at the group stage following finishing third behind Japan and Spain (Group C).
Mwape denied the allegations, describing them as “false”.
The International Federation stressed that any allegations of ill-treatment are dealt with in the strictest confidence.
“If found guilty, FIFA applies the most severe penalties possible, including excluding people from the game for life. Our record confirms this,” the statement read.
And the police in New Zealand, where the national team is camped, stated that they had not received any complaints in this regard before adding, through a spokesperson for them, “However, we were informed of an alleged incident, and following conducting preliminary investigations, there was no need to take any further action.”
Despite the entry of the police and FIFA on the line, the Zambia Federation of the game denied knowledge of any recent complaint from the players or the delegation accompanying the team on its first ever World Cup trip.
“We were surprised to hear allegations of such behavior by the coach,” the federation said in a statement, adding that it demands “the highest standards of integrity and transparency” from the players and national team staff.
He also referred to his media team and FIFA filming all training sessions, and he did not see any evidence of any incident, adding that he would take disciplinary measures “as soon as we receive an official complaint or provide us with evidence.”
Zambia was eliminated from the group stage following two heavy defeats once morest Japan and Spain (0-5 in the two matches), before recording its first ever victory in the finals at the expense of Costa Rica (3-1).
There have been a series of sexual abuse scandals in women’s football recently, particularly in Gabon, Haiti, the United States and Afghanistan.
Earlier this year, Fifa toughened its disciplinary procedures for sexual assault or harassment in a revised code of ethics.
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