The Africa Cup of Nations, a stage for extraordinary football narratives, is poised to unveil another chapter of intrigue as Ivory Coast prepares to compete in the 2024 edition in Côte d’Ivoire with the backdrop of a peculiar and captivating history.
Throughout the history of African football, stories abound of the incorporation of sorcery into the game, with various teams resorting to diverse mystical practices.
Ivory Coast, in particular, stands out with one of the most peculiar tales involving magic on the stage of the Africa Cup of Nations.
Ian Hockey, in his book “Feet of Chameleon,” recounts a chapter where the Ivorian Football Federation sought to secure the national team’s first-ever title in the history of the tournament.
Despite possessing golden generations over the years, the Elephants struggled to clinch the championship until the 1992 edition.
Before the kickoff of the 1992 edition in Senegal, the Ivorian Football Federation struck a deal with one of the continent’s renowned sorcerers, Jabbas Boudabou.
The sorcerer agreed to facilitate Ivory Coast’s triumph with one condition – the receipt of a million and a half francs.
True to the arrangement, the Elephants lifted the trophy without conceding a single goal.
However, the Ivorian Football Federation reneged on its promise to the famed sorcerer, citing financial constraints.
Subsequently, Boudabou, feeling betrayed by the Ivorian Football Federation, allegedly cast magical spells that dimmed the stars of the national team.
Ivory Coast experienced a downturn in performance in successive AFCON editions, marked by early exits for four consecutive tournaments.
The team’s fortunes changed when the Ivorian Football Federation, acknowledging past commitments, reconciled with Boudabou and fulfilled the financial obligations incurred for his mystical services.
Curiously, Ivory Coast then experienced a resurgence, reaching the final of the 2006 edition in Egypt, losing to the Egyptian national team in a penalty shootout.
The team also reached the semi-finals in 2008, secured consecutive appearances in the FIFA World Cup, and triumphed in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015.
