Zambia on the pitch have been fantastic as of recently, securing themselves a 1-0 win against Tanzania, a 3-3 draw with Switzerland and the most shocking result, a 3-2 win against 2022 Euros finalist, Germany.
However, off the pitch, it's not been easy for the Copper Queens with one of their star players failing a gender eligibility test and more recently their manager, Bruce Mwape, is reportedly being investigated for sexual misconduct.
A report that recently came out from The Guardian claimed Zambian Manager, Bruce Mwape is currently being investigated for sexual misconduct by the Zambia FA who have recently forwarded the investigation FIFA and the police.
Other Zambian coaches and officials have also been accused of sexual misconduct and have been included within the investigation. One being the under-17s coach according to The Guardian
Bruce Mwape was approached by the media when landing in New Zealand regarding the recent allegations but wouldn't make a comment on the situation.
Zambian Captain, Barbara Banda, was asked to comment on the situation and her response was that she is "not in a position of answering that" and in regards to the team "our mind is just on the pitch, the rest we leave to the management and whatever comes up it's up to them. Our job is just to work on the pitch" Less than a week ago Barbara Branda was given the 'clear' to play in the World Cup despite failing a gender ability test. Banda had missed the 2022 AFCON competition due to having failed her gender ability test for having heightened levels of testosterone in her body. Even without Barbara Banda's absence in the 2022 AFCON tournament, The Copper Queens managed to beat Nigeria in their third-place play-off match which secured them a spot in the World Cup
The return of Barbra Banda for Zambia in the World Cup is a massive positive for The Copper Queens. Banda was the first women's footballer to score a back-to-back hattrick and the first to score two hattricks in one competition. First hattrick was against the Netherlands and the second was against China (2020 Olympics). Which, ironically, is where she currently plays in the CWSL for Shanghai Shengli. Barbra Banda also holds the record for being the all-time top goal scorer in Olympic history
It's hard to decipher how prepared Zambia are for the World Cup and how they will perform. It's no secret the talent they have on the pitch and the recent form they've been in. But recent allegations regarding the officials and management can have a serious affect on how the squad performs in Australia and New Zealand.
Comments