On July 9, Zambian women's soccer boss Bruce Mwape was investigated for sexual misconduct, according to the Guardian.
In May 2018, Mwape was appointed head coach of the Zambian women's soccer team, which he led to the World Cup for the first time in the team's history.In September 2022, the Zambian Football Association (ZFA) said it had referred an investigation into alleged sexual assault to FIFA. Mwape and U17 coach Kalubakangwa are understood to be the two Zambian FA employees under investigation.
A player, who wished to remain anonymous, told the Guardian, "If Mwape wants to sleep with a player, you have to agree. In our team it is normal for coaches to sleep with players."
A source with inside knowledge of the situation said the players were threatened but it was not by Mwape himself. He said, "If they dare to make any comments about what is happening, they could be punished. The FA turned a blind eye to this because the team achieved good results and this was their way of showing success and a good image to the public and the authorities. But what happens behind the scenes is ugly."
Zambia is one of the four teams competing in this year's Women's World Cup in Africa and they are in Group C with Spain, Japan and Costa Rica.
