El-Hadji Diouf, a former football star from Senegal, has been handed a one-year suspended prison sentence by a Dakar court for failing to pay court-ordered child support. The ruling was delivered on May 12, 2026, following legal proceedings related to his unpaid obligations to his daughter.
The case gained public attention after details of the unpaid support surfaced, prompting legal action. In addition to the suspended sentence, Diouf was ordered to pay 10 million West African CFA francs (approximately €15,244) in damages to his ex-wife, Valérie Émilie Joséphine Leres Bishop. She had sought compensation for unpaid support totaling 9 million FCFA from March 2024 to September 2025, as well as 559,200 FCFA for meal expenses incurred during that period.
The legal dispute dates back to a 2023 divorce ruling, when the court granted custody of their daughter to the mother while mandating Diouf to pay a monthly allowance of 500,000 FCFA for the child’s upbringing. Despite this obligation, the former international footballer defaulted on payments, leading to the current conviction.
With 60 appearances and 18 goals for Senegal’s national team, the Lions of Teranga, Diouf remains a prominent figure in African football history.