On Friday, Germany’s soccer players met Zambia in their dress rehearsal before the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, surprisingly lost (2:3). According to The Guardian, Bruce Mwape, the coach of the Zambian selection, is now under investigation. And because of sexual misconduct.

There are serious allegations that an anonymous source made to the English newspaper: “If he wants to sleep with someone, you have to say yes. It’s normal for him to sleep with our players.” The 63-year-old Mwape has been coaching the Zambian women’s national team since 2018. His team took third place at the 2022 Africa Cup.

Zambian federation to silence players

According to the anonymous source, the sporting success is the reason why the Zambian Football Association (FAZ) allows the abuse: “You are threatened with penalties if you dare to say anything about the incident. The association turns a blind eye because the women have achieved good results. It’s ugly behind the scenes.”

The “Guardian” then asked Mwape for a statement, but he only referred to the FAZ. And the association did not comment on the allegations either. Only one statement from last year was submitted.

Allegations have been an issue for months

“Although we have not received any official complaints from anyone about the allegations, we take these allegations very seriously and have launched an investigation into this matter,” said Adrian Kashala, Secretary General of the FAZ last October. So the allegations were already a topic several months ago. At that time, according to the association, the Zambian police and FIFA were working together. However, the results of the investigation were never published.