Serious allegations against World Cup coach
“If the coach wants sex, you have to say yes”
07/10/2023, 5:10 p.m
For the first time, Zambia’s women’s national soccer team is taking part in a World Cup. Shortly before the tournament, however, an English newspaper reported that coach Bruce Mwape was sexually abusing his players. An anonymous footballer expresses herself clearly.
Actually, the mood among Zambia’s footballers could be exuberant and happy. In mid-July, the national team will take part in a World Cup for the first time, meeting Spain, Japan and Costa Rica in Group C as a debutant in New Zealand. In preparation, the selection celebrated a respectable success last Friday in Fürth, winning 3-2 against the German national team. A few days before the first kick-off, however, drastic allegations against coach Bruce Mwape come into focus.
The British “Guardians” reports that Mwape is being investigated on suspicion of sexual misconduct. The 63-year-old is therefore accused of making the footballers sexually docile. “If he wants to have sex with someone,” the newspaper quotes a national player who does not want to be named, “then you have to say yes”. It is “normal that the coach sleeps with the players of our team”. So the coach uses his authority and power.
In addition, the “Guardian” cites the statements of an unspecified source “who knows the players”. According to her, “the players will be threatened with penalties if they dare to say anything about what is going on”. The Zambian football association FAZ turns a blind eye “because the women’s results are so good”. Mwape took office in 2018: With him on the sidelines, the first qualification for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo was achieved, and in summer 2022 the selection achieved its best result to date with third place at the African Cup of Nations.
FIFA doesn’t want to say anything about it
“It’s pretty ugly behind the scenes,” the anonymous source continues to be quoted as saying. Such allegations against Mwape had already been made public in the autumn of last year, when the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) said it had initiated an investigation, involved the police and informed the world football association FIFA. Mwape has now forwarded a request from the “Guardian” to the association and has not answered it himself.
The FAZ, on the other hand, did not provide any information as to whether complaints about Mwape’s behavior had been received. Instead, reference was made to statements from 2022. According to them, “the allegations will be taken very seriously and investigated.” In order not to come under suspicion of partiality, the investigation was transferred to the police and FIFA. Nothing is publicly known about the results so far, and a request from the “Guardian” to the police in Zambia has apparently remained unanswered so far.
According to the report, FIFA, in turn, is aware of the events. However, the world association declines to comment on this. “Please note that the independent ethics committee does not comment on whether investigations into suspected cases are taking place or not,” the newspaper quoted from the response. Instead, the public would be informed as soon as it was appropriate and appropriate. Incidentally, according to the “Guardian”, it is not determined against Mwape, but also against the coach of the U17 national team, Kaluba Kangwa, and other unspecified “FAZ employees”. So far, however, apparently not with results that would have had visible consequences.