FIFA has initiated an investigation into a serious allegation of sexual misconduct made against Zambia’s head coach, Bruce Mwape, during the Women’s World Cup.
The complaint claims that Mwape sexually assaulted a player by rubbing his hands over her chest during a training session in New Zealand on July 29th.
“A complaint has been received,” stated a spokesperson from FIFA, emphasizing the seriousness with which the organization views such allegations.
However, the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has expressed surprise over the allegation, asserting that it has not received any such complaint. They highlighted their commitment to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency.
The alleged incident is reported to have taken place just days before Zambia’s final group match against Costa Rica, a game in which they secured their first-ever World Cup victory with a 3-1 win.
FIFA, which takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously, has a well-defined process for reporting incidents within the football community.
Zambia returned home after being eliminated from the Women’s World Cup, finishing third in Group C.
Last year, Mwape faced sexual abuse allegations on social media, but the FAZ stated at that time that it had not received any official complaint. They had, however, opened an investigation into the matter.