New Zealand Police Clear Cape Verde Captain Ryan Mendes of Rape Allegation

New Zealand police have cleared Cape Verde captain Ryan Mendes of a rape allegation, confirming that he will not face criminal charges. The woman who made the accusation has instead been charged with making a false statement.

The 36-year-old footballer was accused of raping a Brazilian woman in March while Cape Verde were in Auckland for the FIFA Series tournament.

The alleged incident reportedly took place hours after Cape Verde's friendly against Chile, which ended in a 4-2 victory for the South American side.

On Thursday, New Zealand police confirmed that a 40-year-old woman had been charged with making a false statement after their investigation found that the allegation against Mendes had not been substantiated.

Detective Inspector Scott Beard said the decision to prosecute the woman followed months of investigative work by the police Adult Sexual Assault Team.

“A decision to prosecute in these circumstances is not taken lightly and follows months of investigative work by our Adult Sexual Assault Team,” Beard said.