Ex-Ivorian striker Aboulaye Traoré jailed for three years over rape conviction

Former Ivory Coast international Aboulaye Traoré has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of rape, according to an Ivorian women’s rights organisation.

Traoré, widely known by his nickname “Ben Badi,” was part of the Ivory Coast squad that won the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations and remains a well-known figure in the country’s football history.

In a statement, the Ivorian League for Women’s Rights said the verdict was delivered on Wednesday by a court in Bouaké, describing the ruling as “a significant advance in the fight against impunity for sexual and gender-based violence.”

The court also ordered Traoré to pay 15 million CFA francs (approximately $26,700) in compensation to the victim and imposed a five-year ban restricting him from appearing in the central region, the organisation added.

A judicial source indicated that the former striker was convicted of non-consensual sexual relations involving a 21-year-old woman in March 2021.