Football legend El-Hadji Diouf has been handed a suspended one-year prison sentence by a Dakar court for failing to meet his child support obligations. The ruling came after mounting public pressure following social media revelations about his unpaid financial commitments to his daughter.

The former Senegal national team striker was also ordered to pay 10 million West African CFA francs (approximately €15,244) in damages to his ex-wife, Valérie Émilie Joséphine Leres Bishop. Her legal claim included 9 million CFA francs in unpaid maintenance from March 2024 to September 2025, along with an additional 559,200 CFA francs for meal expenses incurred on behalf of their daughter.

The court had previously ruled on the couple’s divorce in July 2023, granting custody of their child to the mother while mandating Diouf to pay a fixed monthly allowance of 500,000 CFA francs for the child’s upkeep. Despite these legal obligations, the payments were reportedly not fulfilled, leading to the current judicial decision.

With a distinguished career spanning 60 appearances and 18 goals for the Senegal national team, Diouf’s legal troubles have overshadowed his football legacy in recent years.