Former Ivory Coast international striker Aboulaye Traoré, popularly known as *Ben Badi*, has been sentenced to three years in prison after being found guilty of rape, according to an Ivorian women’s rights organization.
The ruling was delivered on Wednesday by a court in Bouaké, as confirmed in a statement by the Ivorian League for Women’s Rights, which described the judgment as a “significant advance in the fight against impunity for sexual and sexist violence.”
According to the rights group and a judicial source, the court found Traoré guilty of non-consensual sexual relations involving a 21-year-old woman in March 2021.
In addition to the prison sentence, the court ordered him to pay 15 million CFA francs (approximately $26,700) in compensation to the victim. He was also handed a five-year ban from appearing in the central region of Ivory Coast.
Traoré, one of the most recognizable figures in Ivorian football history, was part of the national team that won the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations. He remains a cult hero for his performances with ASEC Mimosas in Abidjan.
During his playing career, he also featured for European clubs, including FC Metz in France and SC Braga in Portugal, before retiring fromb professional football.
The women’s rights group welcomed the verdict, stating that it sends a strong message against sexual violence and reinforces accountability, even in cases involving high-profile public figures.
The case has drawn significant attention in Ivory Coast, given Traoré’s status as a celebrated former international footballer.