Former Liverpool striker El Hadji Diouf faces jail over child support dispute

Former Liverpool striker El Hadji Diouf is at risk of jail in Senegal after allegedly failing to pay CFA 10,416,870.53 in child maintenance to his ex-wife, Valerie Bishop.

Diouf, 44, did not appear in court in Dakar, where he was expected to answer accusations of withholding the CFA 498,521.66-a-month payments ordered after the couple’s 2023 divorce. The order included child support for their 17-year-old daughter and additional fees for school and medical bills.

Valerie’s lawyer, Mame Adama Gueye, claimed, “El Hadji Diouf is fully solvent. He has the means to pay, but refuses to do so. He leads a comfortable existence and divides his time between Dakar and Saly Portudal.” Under Senegalese law, a refusal to pay child support can lead to imprisonment.

Diouf, who joined Liverpool for £10 million after his 2002 World Cup heroics, also played for several English clubs during a career marked by controversy.

The case resumes in December, where the high court in Dakar will decide Diouf’s fate.