Copper Queens’ coach, Bruce Mwape, has been accused of sexual misconduct in the past year. Prior to the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, he declined to comment on the accusation reported by The Guardian.
Following Zambia’s elimination from the World Cup, the British publication reported that Mwape was again accused of touching one of his players’ chests two days before the team’s victory over Costa Rica.
This year, in May, the Guardian reported that an unnamed Fifa contractor accused Mwape of intentionally touching her breast at last year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Fifa also confirmed that they are investigating the matter, with Mwape expressing relief that the governing body was looking into it so that he could be vindicated because he is innocent.
The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) also encouraged anyone with evidence to submit it to the relevant authorities.
“I am happy that FIFA is investigating the matter because it will provide an opportunity for my name to be cleared of all the allegations,” he said in August last year. “I shall cooperate throughout the investigations because I want my name to be cleared and people should know the truth.”
Mwape ready to face international media over sexual accusations
The former Nchanga Rangers FC coach became the first Zambian coach to qualify a Zambia national team for consecutive major tournaments. He is preparing for the Paris Olympics with the Copper Queens, having qualified for the global football showpiece for the second time in a row.
He stated that he is aware that the international media will bring up the sexual accusations again during the Olympics in Paris, but he is unconcerned.
Those accusations, I’m sure most of you have known about [them], and there are rumors that there are some people who are organizing [the accusations] so that they can [dent my reputation], but otherwise my conscience is clear because that is something that I’ve never done.
Mwape told a press conference in Lusaka on Wednesday at Football House.
The 64-year-old believes that if he was guilty of any of the accusations, one of the girls would have already exposed him.
You know, I’ve been with this team for years now. If I were to mix with these girls, maybe this time one could have come out and said, Oh me, I think I’ve slept with the coach. My conscience is clear: whatever they do, I won’t even be affected. So they’ll just be wasting their time.
Whoever thinks about those accusations as being right, then he must be in the same boat with the ones that started organizing them. But otherwise my conscience is clear.
He added.
Zambia will compete in the Olympics for the second time, having previously represented the continent solely at the 2020 Tokyo edition, where they were eliminated in the group stage after losing 10-3 to the Netherlands and 1-0 to Brazil, before drawing 4-4 with China.
| Group A | Group B | Group C |
| France | USWNT | Spain |
| Colombia | Germany | Japan |
| Canada | Australia | Brazil, |
| New Zealand | Zambia | Nigeria |
They are in Group B, alongside Germany, the United States, and Australia.
Mwape’s lasses are expected to travel to Europe over the weekend for an international camp where they will play a friendly game against New Zealand on July 13, 2024, in Lyon, France.
The Copper Queens will open their 2024 Olympic campaign against the United States.
READ MORE: Bruce Mwape names final squad for Olympics, explains Belemu and Lungu exclusions
