An investigation has been opened by Fifa following a complaint for “inappropriate gesture” involving the Zambian selection during the World Cup, the body announced on Friday, promising severe sanctions if these facts are proven. According to several media, these investigations concern the coach of Zambia, Bruce Mwape, who allegedly touched the chest of a player before the match against Costa Rica, but Fifa did not wish to give further details.
“We can confirm that a complaint has been received regarding the Zambia women’s national team and this is currently being investigated,” a Fifa spokesperson said. “Fifa takes any accusation of inappropriate behavior very seriously and has a clear procedure in place for everyone in football to report it,” the body said.
On Friday, the Zambian FA claimed that “the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has not received any such complaints from any of the players or officials in the delegation that traveled to the FIFA Cup. world. We were therefore surprised to learn of such alleged behavior by the coach, as reported in the Guardian’s online article,” FAZ Secretary General Reuben Kamanga said in a statement, adding that the whole training had been filmed.
According to the federation, “a Fifa film crew attached to the Zambian team during the World Cup was present at all training sessions”. New Zealand Police, where the team was based, said they had not received any complaints. “However, we have been made aware of an alleged incident and after an initial investigation no further action has been taken,” a police spokesman said on Friday.
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Coach Bruce Mwape has already been cited in recent months in connection with revelations of allegations of sexual assault in Zambian women’s football. At the time, the Zambian FA opened an investigation, saying there had been no official complaint, but that it considered “these accusations to be very serious”. Bruce Mwape, appointed in 2018, was repeatedly asked about it during the World Cup, calling the accusations “false”.
“What are you talking about? I would like to know because there is no question that I am withdrawing without reason” (…), “perhaps your reason is what you read in the media or in the press, but the truth should be revealed, not just the rumours,” replied the coach in particular before the match against Spain. Fifa has stressed that any accusation of assault is treated with the strictest confidentiality.
Earlier this year, the body tightened its disciplinary procedures in cases of sexual assault or harassment in a new regulation. It removed the 10-year statute of limitations for sexual assault prosecutions and requires “member associations and confederations to notify Fifa of all decisions rendered in matters of sexual assault”. Women’s football has recently seen a series of sexual assault scandals, including in Gabon, Haiti, the United States and Afghanistan.
