The Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has stated that they have not received any complaints regarding allegations of sexual misconduct made against Copper Queen’s coach Bruce Mwape by The Guardian.
Yesterday, the UK-based publication reported that Mwape has been accused of rubbing his hands over the chest of one of his players two days before his country’s historic victory over Costa Rica in their final match at the Women’s World Cup.
According to the report, Fifa has acknowledged receiving an official complaint regarding the alleged incident after Zambia won their first match at the World Cup on Monday in New Zealand.
Reacting to the report, FAZ has denied the allegations and expressed surprise at the accusations.
“We wish to state the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) has not received any such complaint from any of the players or officials in the delegation that traveled to the World Cup. It has therefore come as a surprise for us to hear of such alleged misconduct by the coach as reported in the said online publication,” says FAZ General Secretary Reuben Kamanga.
“As a matter of fact, all the training sessions for the Copper Queens were filmed by the FAZ media team and offers no such footage as envisioned by The Guardian. Additionally, a FIFA film crew attached to the Zambian team at the World Cup was present at all training sessions.”
FAZ ready to take action
FAZ says they will take action and implement disciplinary measures upon receiving an official complaint regarding any misconduct.
“We however wish to reassure the public that FAZ maintains the highest standards of integrity and transparency and always demands unwavering ethical conduct of the players and officials on and off the field of play,” added Kamanga.
“We therefore would not hesitate to take disciplinary measures and act on any misconduct once we are in receipt of an official complaint or when presented with evidence pertaining to an alleged incident.”
RELATED ARTICLE: ‘We will be back with a different approach and a polished team’- Bruce Mwape
In 2022, sexual misconduct allegations against Mwape surfaced on social media after the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. However, FAZ stated that they did not receive any complaints from the players or anyone else regarding the matter.
The public was advised to report any evidence to either the police or the association.
