Former Côte d'Ivoire striker Aboulaye Traore has been sentenced to three years in prison for rape, following a ruling by a court in Bouake, according to the Ivorian League for Women's Rights.

The rights group, citing AFP, described the verdict as a "significant advance in the fight against impunity for sexual and sexist violence." Alongside the custodial sentence, the court ordered Traore to pay 15 million CFA francs ($26,700) in compensation to the victim and imposed a five-year ban prohibiting him from appearing in the central region of the country.

A judicial source confirmed that Traore was found guilty of engaging in non-consensual sexual relations in March 2021 with a woman who was 21 years old at the time.

A celebrated career now overshadowed

Traore is one of the most recognisable names in Ivorian football history. He was part of the Elephants squad that claimed the 1992 Africa Cup of Nations title — a landmark achievement that remains a defining moment in the country's football heritage.

At club level, Traore built his reputation as a cult figure at Abidjan's ASEC Mimosas before taking his talent to Europe, where he represented FC Metz in France and Braga in Portugal, among other clubs.

He made his international debut for Côte d'Ivoire in 1984 and went on to score 49 goals in 90 appearances for the Elephants, retiring from international football in 1996 after more than a decade of service.