Former Senegalese football star El-Hadji Diouf has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence by the Dakar Magistrates’ Court. The ruling follows his failure to meet child support obligations for his daughter.

In addition to the suspended sentence, the court ordered Diouf to pay 10 million FCFA (approximately €15,244) in damages to his ex-wife, Valérie Émilie Joséphine Leres Bishop. The unpaid child support, totaling 9 million FCFA, covered the period from March 2024 to September 2025, along with an additional 559,200 FCFA in meal expenses for their child.

This case stems from a July 2023 divorce ruling that granted custody of the couple’s daughter to the mother. At the time, the court had mandated that Diouf pay a monthly child support amount of 500,000 FCFA for the child’s upbringing. Despite the legal obligation, he failed to comply, leading to the current conviction.

The Senegalese football legend, a two-time African Ballon d’Or winner (2001 and 2002), has earned 60 caps and scored 18 goals for the Senegal national team, known as the Lions of Teranga.