Cape Verde Captain: Brazilian woman’s rape allegations against Cape Verde team’s captain on Sunday have marred the island nation’s historic entry to the Round of 32 of the World Cup on Saturday. The incident is said to have happened during the yearly FIFA series of events in New Zealand from March 27-30, where the squad translator was the victim of sexual abuse by, among others, the striker Ryan Mendes, according to several Brazilian newspapers.
Cape Verde vs Argentina: Captain Ryan Mendes faces rape allegations
New Zealand officials have reportedly launched an investigation into Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes following allegations that he sexually assaulted a Brazilian woman, as stated by Globo Esporte. The incident is said to have occurred in March when the woman was acting as the team’s interpreter during their friendly matches in the country. The woman in question was New Zealand Football Federation’s choice to provide operational support during the FIFA Series and besides being an interpreter for the Cape Verde team whose primary language is Portuguese.
It is also said that the incident took place in Auckland while the Cape Verde team was engaged in friendly matches with Chile and New Zealand ahead of the FIFA World Cup.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Who is Ryan Mendes?
Mendes almost never missed a minute of the 3 World Cup group games, except for a 17-minute stint. Mendes has not only scored 22 goals for his country but also has 100 appearances since his first cap. After playing most of his professional career in France and the UAE Pro League, Mendes is currently a player of Turkish second division club Igdir.
FIFA World Cup 2026: Cape Verde qualifies for the Round of 32
One of the joyful stories of the World Cup’s enlarged 48-team field is Cape Verde’s qualification. Cape Verde, an archipelago consisting of ten volcanic islands off the coast of Western Africa, finished second in Group H and obtained a World Cup place for the knockout stages at their first attempt.
They became the smallest country, both by area and population, ever to qualify for the World Cup knockout rounds, finishing ahead of Uruguay who became third, less than eight months since they secured their spot at the biggest sporting event in the world. The Blue Sharks were also paired with the world champions, Argentina, for their Round of 32 match, which is scheduled to take place at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Friday.
Pragun is a passionate cricket follower and writer who deeply loves the game. Having completed his education with a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication, he has an experience of almost two years in diverse fields. He is known for his statistical and analytical articles. Pragun tries to bring life to his articles by adding a layer of enthusiasm from the perspective of a hardcore fan. Apart from writing cricket articles, he sometimes appears on YouTube videos on a friend’s podcast.
The post Cape Verde Captain Ryan Mendes Faces Rape Allegations Ahead of Argentina Clash in FIFA World Cup 2026 Round of 32 appeared first on NewsX.
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