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Assignment: Gabon’s dark football secret

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Child holding football boots

05/10/2023 GMT

Gabon’s dark football secret

BBC World Service - Assignment, Gabon’s dark football secret

BBC Africa Eye investigates the sexual abuse of young footballers in Gabon

For Assignment, BBC Africa Eye speaks to witnesses of a sexual abuse ring that plagued all levels of Gabonese football for three decades.

Gabon is football crazy and it’s the dream of most young footballers to play internationally. But, in 2022 a long serving coach for youth national teams admitted to charges of raping, grooming, and exploiting young players. He faces up to 30 years in prison. 

BBC Africa Eye’s  Khadidiatou Cissé travels to Gabon to investigate one of the biggest sexual abuse scandals in the history of football. She speaks with victims and eyewitnesses who reveal a shocking culture of sexual abuse and despair, with claims that many people knew, and many stayed silent. We follow a coach who, at personal risk, is determined to bring about change. Football’s world governing body, Fifa, is facing accusations of failing to take effective action over the scandal. 

Presenter: Khadidiatou Cissé
Producer: Stephanie Stafford and Suzanne Vanhooymissen
BBC Eye editors Rebecca Henschke and Tom Watson
Sound engineer: Neil Churchill
Assignment series editor: Penny Murphy

(Photo: Child holding football boots)

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