Cape Verde’s football team captain, Ryan Mendes, is accused of sexually assaulting a woman hired as the team’s translator, according to reports carried by the Brazilian outlet Globo. The allegations relate to a trip to New Zealand in March, when Cape Verde plays a match in Auckland as part of their World Cup-related preparations. Multiple outlets report that the alleged incident involves a Brazilian woman translator who was employed for the team’s tour. The reports state that Mendes, 36, is the person accused, and that the accusations were first published by Globo. The coverage provided in these articles does not include any court outcome or official statement from Mendes or the team. As presented, the matter is described as an accusation rather than a confirmed finding, and the sources cite the alleged event occurring during the March stay in Auckland. The reporting focuses on the timing and the involvement of the translator hired for the trip, alongside Mendes’s role as captain.