Tuesday, January 13, 2026 -A traditional healer known locally as a marabout has been arrested in Bamako, Mali, after allegedly defrauding supporters who paid him to guarantee the national football team’s success in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Mali’s national team was eliminated on Friday in the quarter finals by
Senegal 1-0.
The man, identified only as Mr. Sinayogo, reportedly collected more than
22 million CFA francs (about €33,500) in donations from hopeful fans convinced
that his spiritual powers would secure glory for the Mali national team.
Sinayogo was arrested in the Malian capital Bamako on Saturday for “fraud”
and was being held at the cybercrime division, according to two videographers
who visited him.
“Charlatanism is punishable by law in Mali”, an official from the division
told AFP.
However, arresting the man while the national team was still competing
would have been difficult “in the heat of the Africa Cup of Nations,” he added.
The man, formerly known as a political activist, “proclaimed himself a
marabout overnight and made a fortune”, a social media content creator close to
him said.
0 Comments