At a question and answer session on Tuesday with coach Bruce Mwape ahead of the country's match against Spain, one reporter asked what effect the investigation into the allegations had on Zambia's image.

A media officer for the football organisation stopped the Spanish journalist, saying: "I'll ask you to restrict the questions to the football and the tournament only, for this press conference. I'll go to the next question."

Mwape did answer a second question from a journalist who inquired whether the coach considered stepping aside on account of a bad atmosphere around the team.

"What environment affecting the team in particular? What are you talking about? I would like to know because there is no way I can retire without, for no reason," he said.

"Maybe your reason is because what you are reading from the media or from the press, but the truth of the matter should actually come out, not just on rumours."

A third journalist then asked Zambia's captain Barbra Banda whether the players considered leaving the team in a sign of protest against the alleged misconduct of Mwape.

A Zambian official and the FIFA media officer pushed back and said Mwape and Banda would not answer the question.

The head coach has denied any wrongdoing. The Zambian football association president Andrew Kamanga said allegations were referred to FIFA and Zambian police last year and described it as "an old story".

It comes after the BBC was forced to apologise after a reporter asked the captain of the Moroccan team an "inappropriate" question during a news conference.

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A journalist asked Ghizlane Chebbak whether there were any gay players in her squad, with same-sex relationships illegal in the North African country.

The unnamed male journalist, reported to be from the BBC's World Service, asked: "In Morocco it's illegal to have a gay relationship, do you have any gay players in your squad and what's life like for them in Morocco?"

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A FIFA media officer interjected, saying: "Sorry this is a very political question so we will just stick to questions related to football please."

The reporter responded: "No, no, it's not political, it's about people, it's nothing to do with politics, please let her answer."

In a statement to Sky News, the BBC said: "We recognise that the question was inappropriate. We had no intention to cause any harm or distress."