Spiritual guide took bundles of cash after claiming God gave him powers to promise Mali victory in the football tournament but was then held by cops after the team crashed out
A self-proclaimed prophet who took £30,000 from hoodwinked fans after he promised that Mali would win the Africa Cup of Nations has been arrested after the team lost in the quarter-finals.
Karamogo Sinayoko demanded cash from supporters and assured them that he would use his powers to deliver them victory. The spiritual guide known as a marabout’s claims were given credence after he said God had told him Mali would beat Tunisia in the last 16.
After going down to 10 men through an early red card before equalising in the 90th minute and scraping a win on penalties, spectators believed his otherworldly gifts were genuine.
He said: “The entire neighbourhood came to my house to celebrate me, people from all over the city came to see me,” Sinayoko recalled.
Sinayoko then pledged to recreate the team’s success in the quarter-finals, reportedly swearing on the Quran as he promised victory.
However, when Mali lost 1-0 to Senegal and were eliminated from the tournament, the fan’s devotion turned to fury. When the final whistle blew, a crowd descended on Sinayoko’s home in the capital city Bamako.
A hundred or so fans were filmed hurling stones at his house and are said to have “vandalised” his home Police called to the scene and arrested him for fraud.
He is being investigated by specialist cyber crime officers for “charlatanism” according to reports.
Sinayoko, in a statement after his arrest, said: “Am I God? I am not God. When I did my work and we defeated Tunisia, the entire neighbourhood came to my house to celebrate me.
“People from all over the city came to see me. Now that we were defeated by Senegal, I am being attacked and my property has been vandalised. I did my spiritual work, but God did not accept it. I am not God, I did my part, and God chose otherwise.”
Sinayoko was a former “political activist who proclaimed himself a marabout overnight and made a fortune”, a friend said.
The relationship of Black magic and African football has a well-documented history.
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