Ivorian Legend Traore Sentenced To 3 Years In Prison For Rape

Legendary Côte d’Ivoire striker Aboulaye Traore has been sentenced to three years in jail for rape, an Ivorian women’s rights group reported.

Traore won the 1992 African Cup of Nations with the Elephants and remains a very popular figure in the West African country.

In a statement, the Ivorian League for Women’s Rights (via AFP) said that the Bouake court handed down the three-year sentence on Wednesday, hailing a “significant advance in the fight against impunity for sexual and sexist violence”.

Besides the jail term, the court ordered “the payment of 15 million CFA francs to the victim” ($26,700) and a five-year ban on appearing in the central region, the rights group said.

According to a judicial source, Traore was found guilty of having non-consensual sexual relations in March 2021 with a woman who was 21 years old at the time.

Before his retirement, Traore was a cult hero for Abidjan’s ASEC Mimosas, and also appeared for several European clubs, including FC Metz in France and Portugal’s Braga.

He made his debut for the Elephants in 1984 and scored 49 goals in 90 appearances before retiring from international football in 1996.