Maraboutage in the Syli National: Football, Witchcraft and Shocking Revelations

When we think of Guinea and football, we imagine flashes of genius on the pitch, talented players like Naby Keita, disappointed hopes, sometimes, but we would never have suspected that part of the match is played invisibly, beyond the cleats and free kicks. However, the former interim coach of the Syli National, Charles Paquille, has just dropped a bombshell: mystical practices are gangrening the team, poisoning the atmosphere in the locker room more surely than a bitter defeat against a tough opponent.

Yes, you read that right. Paquille, who has closely observed the Guinean selection, strongly suspects that players rely on marabouts to boost their performance or, worse, destabilize their teammates. Between dubious rituals and mysterious amulets hidden in sports bags, it almost sounds like a poorly scripted adventure film. But that's the reality, according to Paquille. Socks soaked in mystical concoctions before matches? That's apparently more common than deep passes in this team.

A shot of marabout, and it starts again?

Marabouts, these enigmatic characters found in several corners of West Africa, often have the reputation of being able to influence destiny. Whether it is to bring luck or cast curses, their "know-how" is as feared as it is respected. But to find them indirectly on the pitch, well that's another story! However, according to Paquille, this phenomenon is nothing exceptional. He even goes so far as to say that these practices have sown discord in the group, each player suspecting the other of wanting to call upon occult forces to shine, or worse, harm his teammates.

Cohesion? It would have been shattered, just like the hope of playing team football. When you start to believe that your own playing partner could be responsible for your misses because of a powder thrown in secret or a lucky charm hidden in his things, it is difficult to concentrate on passes and shots on target. In short, at the Syli National, it was complete chaos.

Superstition and football, an old couple

Nothing really new under the African football sun. Superstition and mystical beliefs are not uncommon on the continent, and not only in Guinea. Stories of spells and marabouts have been told for years, from Cameroon to Ghana, via Ivory Coast. Whether to excuse poor performances or to explain miracles on the pitch, maraboutism remains an explanation that has a hard skin.

But where Guinea stands out is in the fact that these practices seem to have penetrated deep into the locker room. When belief takes over tactics, one can legitimately wonder if this is not one of the reasons why the team's performances remain irregular. A bad pass? What if it was the marabout? A missed goal? Maybe it's because the teammate next to him bet on an amulet rather than on physical training.

CAN 2025: football or occultism?

With the CAN 2025 in sight, Guinea must quickly put its house in order. Paquille himself does not directly accuse the players, but he clearly points out this atmosphere of suspicion that reigns within the Syli. Trust between the members of the team is said to be at its lowest level, making any collective performance complicated.

So what to do? Is an exorcism needed in the locker room before thinking about reviewing the tactical plans? Or is maraboutage ultimately just an excuse for a team in search of benchmarks and lacking results? What is certain is that Paquille has put his foot in it, and that the question of the place of superstition in Guinean football, and more broadly African football, remains more open than ever.

In a country where traditional beliefs still coexist closely with modernity, this story is less funny than one might think. For some, consulting a marabout is not so different from consulting a mental coach. For others, it is the sign of a dangerous drift that could undermine team spirit and sporting ambitions.

Talents or talismans?

In the end, this maraboutage affair perhaps reveals a deeper fragility in the Guinean selection. More than a matter of spells or bewitched socks, it is the inability to come together as a team that emerges from this story. And that, marabout or not, is a problem that will not be solved with a magic potion.

Should Guinea be concerned that spirits will influence its chances at the next CAN? It is difficult to say. But it is time to focus on the ball, and less on the charms. Because at the end of the day, it is the assists and the well-placed shots that count, not the amulets.

Paquille has opened Pandora's box, it remains to be seen whether the Syli National will be able to close the lid before 2025. If Guinea wants to shine at the CAN, it will have to put aside mysticism and get its feet back on the ground. Well, on the field.