Cape Verde's Ryan Mendes Exonerated as Accuser Charged with False Statement

New Zealand authorities have cleared Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes of a rape allegation, confirming that the claim made against him has no basis. The woman who made the accusation is now facing charges for filing a false report. Detective Inspector Scott Beard confirmed on Friday that an investigation into the alleged sexual assault at an Auckland hotel in March found no evidence to support the claim. The 40-year-old accuser has been charged under New Zealand’s Crimes Act and is set to appear in court next week. Beard noted, "A decision to prosecute in these circumstances is not taken lightly and follows months of investigative work by our Adult Sexual Assault Team." The incident reportedly occurred just hours after Cape Verde faced Chile in a friendly match, which ended in a 4-2 victory for the South American side. Mendes’ attorney, Karl Trotter, highlighted the toll the allegation took on his client, who was subjected to intense media scrutiny. With Cape Verde qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, the topic of the alleged assault dominated discussions at Mendes' press conferences. "Mr. Mendes was thrilled to finally be able to get this behind him and he regards it as a complete vindication," Trotter told the New Zealand Herald. He expressed hope that the clearing of Mendes’ name would attract equal media attention to the fallout from the initial allegations. At 36 years old, Mendes is the most capped player for Cape Verde, with 103 appearances since his debut in 2010. He currently plays for RS Berkane in Morocco.