SOUTH AFRICA, Pretoria — Shadreck Mlauzi, the coach of the Zimbabwe women soccer team, is under investigation for allegedly sexually harassing a female member of the technical team and some players.
A member of the technical team reported him to the ZIFA Normalisation Committee, which is in charge of running the affairs of Zimbabwean football.
According to the report, Mlauzi inappropriately touched a female member of the technical team and made suggestive comments to some players.
One player claimed that he told her she was ready to have an intimate relationship with anyone she wanted.
ZIFA interim chairperson Lincoln Mutasa said in a statement that the association had sent a qualified Safeguarding Officer to attend to the matter and was conducting independent investigations.
“The association is taking the matter seriously, and is currently carrying out independent investigations to get to the bottom of the allegations,” Mutasa said.
He urged the public not to make unfounded pronouncements that could jeopardise the investigations and said that ZIFA condemned all forms of misconduct and would punish anyone found guilty.
Mlauzi remains coach as the investigations are ongoing, which has angered some sections who want him to step aside until the matter is resolved.
The allegations have overshadowed the team’s impressive performance at the 2023 HOLLYWOODBETS COSAFA Women’s Championship in South Africa.
The Mighty Warriors, who returned to international action for the first time since FIFA lifted their suspension, topped their group with seven points and conceded only one goal in three games.
They will face Zambia in a thrilling semifinal on Friday at the Lucas Moripe Stadium in Atteridgeville.
The match will also mark the debut of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology at a COSAFA tournament.
