Former Senegal international El-Hadji Diouf has been given a one-year suspended prison sentence by a court in Dakar after being found guilty of refusing to pay child support, according to local reports in Senegal.
The former striker, who won the African Footballer of the Year award in both 2001 and 2002, was also ordered to pay 10 million FCFA (about €15,000) in damages and interest following the ruling delivered on Tuesday by the Dakar District Court.
The case has attracted significant attention in Senegal because of Diouf’s status as one of the country’s most celebrated football figures.
The former forward earned 60 caps for Senegal and scored 18 goals during an international career that helped raise the profile of African football on the global stage.
Court proceedings stemmed from a complaint filed by his ex-wife, Valérie Émilie Joséphine Leres Bishop, acting on behalf of their daughter, identified in reports as K.D. Diouf.
She accused the former footballer of failing to comply with court-ordered child support payments.
According to the complaint, Diouf was alleged to have violated provisions within the Senegalese Penal Code relating to refusal to pay child support.
Local reports said the case focused on unpaid support covering the period between March 2024 and September 2025.
The civil party reportedly sought arrears amounting to nine million FCFA, in addition to meal expenses for the child estimated at more than 559,000 FCFA.
The legal dispute follows a divorce ruling issued in July 2023, when Diouf’s former wife was granted custody of their daughter.
As part of that judgment, the former Senegal striker was ordered to pay monthly child support of 500,000 FCFA.
The Dakar court ruled in criminal proceedings and found the former player guilty of refusing to meet those obligations.
However, the one-year prison sentence handed down was suspended, meaning Diouf will not serve jail time unless further offences occur under the terms of the ruling.
Reports also stated that the trial eventually proceeded in the absence of the former footballer after several postponements.
Diouf remains one of the most recognisable names in Senegalese football history.
He played a key role in Senegal’s run to the quarter-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and also helped the Lions of Teranga reach the Africa Cup of Nations final that same year.
At club level, the striker featured for several European teams during his career, including English side Liverpool FC, where he played after impressing on the international stage.
The latest court decision represents a difficult chapter for a player once regarded as one of Africa’s brightest football stars.
The case has also reignited discussion in Senegal around legal enforcement of parental responsibilities, particularly involving high-profile public figures.
