described as “psychological preparers” or “spiritual agents”, these marabouts, a term which originally designated a spiritually accomplished Muslim scientist, claim to be able to propel or break football careers.
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talent, luck or black magic? In 1992, the Elephants of Côte d’Ivoire won their first African Cup of Nations (CAN) in Senegal against Ghana after an endless shooting session (11-10). Members of the Ivorian Football Federation and René Diby, the Ivorian Minister of Sports at the time, will later reveal that the selection had used fetishers, qualified by the Minister of “Psychological Preparers”, from the village of Akradio , an hour from Abidjan. The ten men in question would have predicted the victory of the Ivorians as well as other facts of play throughout the competition.
But the story does not stop there. These famous fetishers, all from the same province as the Minister of Sports, would then have angry: Mr. Diby would not have responded to their requests, especially financial. A dissatisfaction that would have earned the national team to fail during the following CANs.
“In 2014, the Frenchman Hervé Renard was appointed coach of the Elephants and he told me that one of the first decisions he had taken had meet these fetishers to calm the game,” says Christophe Gleizes, Sports journalist, author with Barthélémy Gaillard de Magique System (published by Marabout editions!), An investigation into the modern slavery of African footballers. A few months later, the Ivorians won their second CAN. Again on penalties. Again facing Ghana.
Sports or supporters, many West Africans and Central Africans believe that certain marabouts have the power to propel or break football careers. This is evidenced by the recent affair of the French international Paul Pogba: the midfielder from Guinea was accused in August by his brother Mathias of having threw a fate at striker Kylian Mbappé in a PSG-Manchester United match In 2019, with the help of the marabout of Serge Aurier, the captain of the Ivorian selection – which the latter denies.
a figure now ambiguous
The phenomenon is not circumscribed to the world of sport. “In West Africa, everyone, officially or unofficially uses marabout, is a cultural trait that has been perpetuated despite modernization. In most families, it is rare that important decisions are Taken without consulting it “, points Sékou Traoré, doctor of contemporary history, specialist in these practices of Côte d’Ivoire.
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