[Saba Sports News] According to British media reports, Ryan Mendes, captain of the Cape Verde national football team, is under investigation by New Zealand police on suspicion of rape.The woman involved is a New Zealand resident. When the Cape Verde national team travelled to New Zealand for matches this March, she was employed by New Zealand Football as the team’s translator and operations assistant, staying at the same hotel as the squad. Per media accounts, the incident took place on March 27 this year, right after Cape Verde played a friendly against Chile. The woman stated that she was summoned to a hotel room reserved for team representatives under the pretext of translation work, only to find it was more of a social gathering. She returned to her own room early due to feeling unwell, before hearing a knock at her door shortly afterwards. Assuming it was a work-related matter, she opened the door, upon which Mendes entered the room and subjected her to a violent sexual assault. Police have now obtained hotel CCTV footage and are awaiting a forensic medical report documenting her injuries. Authorities will decide whether to file formal criminal charges once all relevant evidence has been filed.
The editor believes that Cape Verde’s World Cup journey was originally an inspiring story. This small African nation with a modest population managed to make its mark on the global stage. Relying on grit, tactical discipline and cohesive team play, they emerged as a dark horse. However, all that positive gloss has now been badly tarnished.