has confirmed an investigation into the conduct of Zambia coach Bruce Mwape after he was accused of rubbing his hands over the chest of one his players during the .
Mwape, who has been in charge of the women’s team since 2018, was into having sex with him if they wanted to keep their place in the team prior to the tournament beginning – an accusation he has denied.
The latest claim of sexual misconduct relates to an incident prior to Monday’s 3-1 win over Costa Rica, which was Zambia’s first ever victory at the World Cup despite having already been eliminated.
According to , several players witnessed Mwape, 63, rubbing his hands over the chest of one of their team-mates in a training session last Friday.
The incident was not reported immediately over fears it could disrupt preparations for their final group match – or even lead to players not being selected – but a complaint was lodged with a Fifa delegate following the win over Costa Rica.
A Fifa spokesperson said: ‘Fifa takes any allegation of misconduct extremely seriously and has a clear process in place for anyone in football who wants to report an incident.
‘We can confirm that a complaint has been received in relation to the Zambian women’s national team and this is currently being investigated.
‘We cannot provide further details regarding an ongoing investigation for obvious confidentiality reasons.
‘Anyone who wishes to report allegations or information related to abuse in football can do so via Fifa’s confidential reporting platform, with all information that is submitted to Fifa handled in the strictest of confidence.
‘In addition, Fifa offers support and assistance to ensure the safety of those who report a safeguarding issue, including witnesses who come forward and give testimony in Fifa judicial cases.
‘Where guilt is established, Fifa takes the strongest possible sanctions, including removing people from the game for life. Our track record demonstrates this.’
Mwape has denied the previous allegations against him, saying before Zambia’s first match at the World Cup: ‘It has taken about a year now. You are still talking about the same allegations. As far as I’m concerned they are fake allegations.’
He was also questioned before Zambia’s second match but a Fifa media officer asked journalists to restrict their questions to ‘the football and the tournament only’.
Later asked if he would resign, Mwape said: ‘What environment, affecting the team, in particular? What are you talking about? I would like to know, because there is no way I can retire [resign] without reason. Maybe your reason is because of what you are reading from the media, or from the press, but the truth of the matter should actually come out, not just rumours.’
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