Karamoko Sinayoko, a traditional healer from Mali, had promised that the country’s national football team would emerge victorious in the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournament. In exchange for his spiritual services, he collected donations amounting to €33,500. However, Mali’s chances of winning the tournament were dashed when they lost 1-0 to Senegal in the quarterfinals. Consequently, Sinayoko was arrested and charged with fraud, with authorities labeling his actions as “charlatanism,” a offense punishable by law in Mali.
As a self-proclaimed marabout, or traditional folk healer, Sinayoko had leveraged people’s faith in spiritual interventions to solicit donations from supporters, amassing approximately €33,500 (equivalent to over 22 million CFA francs). He is currently being detained at the cybercrime division in Bamako, Mali’s capital, pending further proceedings.
It is noteworthy that the involvement of spiritual leaders in football is not an uncommon phenomenon. For instance, Primate Ayodele, a prominent Nigerian spiritual leader, had offered guidance to the Nigerian Super Eagles during their World Cup qualifiers, with some of his predictions coming to fruition.
