Zimbabwe women's soccer team rocked by sex, drug abuse scandal

Zimbabwe women's soccer team rocked by sex, drug abuse scandal

ZIFA has instituted a probe

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By Oswald Sibanda
Sports Editor

THE Zimbabwe women's national football team -- the Mighty Warriors -- has been rocked by a sex abuse scandal involving coaching staff and allegations of drug abuse and rampant lesbianism among players.

Some players are said to have fallen pregnant after the drug-crazed sex romps during camping.

The Zimbabwe Football Association (Zifa) launched an urgent investigation this week following complaints from some parents of the players and the Sports and Recreation Commission.

The Chronicle newspaper said it had correspondence from the acting Zifa chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze to the Zimbabwe Women Soccer League secretary general seeking an urgent report into the abuse claims.

“I hereby request your esteemed office to furnish me with information pertaining to the alleged rampant cases of girl child abuse by members of the technical staff in 2003," Mashingaidze wrote.

“I have received numerous complaints from parents and members of the public wherein the above cases have been mentioned. Some national team players are said to have been impregnated by certain technical staff members and nothing has been done about it,” he said.

Mashingaidze, in an interview with the Bulawayo Chronicle said: "It’s a serious issue and we have instituted investigations. We also got reports that there is lesbianism and drug abuse among the players. We have to get to the root of this problem."

The ZIFA investigation threatens the very existence of women's football in Zimbabwe which has failed to garner public following. It comes just over a month before the team travels to South Africa for the African Women’s Nations Cup set to run from 15 September – 4 October.

Susan Chibizhe, the women soccer league chairperson immediately instructed the technical department team that was in charge of the players to write reports responding to the allegations.

The technical department comprised head coach, Benedict Moyo, assistant coach Stix Mtizwa and goalkeepers coach and former Highlanders player Peter Nkomo. The team manager during the tenure was Ivy Sibindi while the medic was Bulawayo based nurse Sister Dzenga.

“We have instructed the former technical team to write a report before we make our submissions to ZIFA. As mothers we are deeply concerned. We need to get to the root of this. We are also asking the players who might have been victims to come forward. We are not out to tarnish anybody’s image,” added Chibizhe.

Zifa denies it's a witch-hunt aimed at tarnishing members of the Mighty Warriors.
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