Africa, a holy man says that whoever plays 11 loses: the game is played 10 against 10

The marabouts – the local holy man – spoke clearly: “The first team that takes the field with 11 men will lose the match”. Unappealable verdict, not negligible words, panic on the bench. Sonabel Ouagadougou-Aseck Koudougou, match valid for the 26th day of the Burkina Faso first division championship scheduled at the Issoufou Joseph Conombo municipal stadium in the capital of Burkina Faso began like this.

On the field in 10

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What to do? Ignore the tip of the “mutimen” and therefore expose yourself to the consequences deriving from the irritation of the spirits? Adjust to magical demands and give up a player? As revealed by the Burkinabé journalist Ablam Gnamesso, the two coaches, who met urgently with their respective managements, reflected for a long time. And they decided the same thing: “Let’s play in 10”. The referee didn’t bat an eyelid: the match started with the two formations from the lower part of the local top division on the field with 11 players due to protocol requirements, but a second after the initial whistle a player from each side immediately ran on the sidelines.

No change

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The two victims remained disconsolate outside, near the benches. They watched their teammates play. Because the paralysis was total: terrified by the words of the ‘wackman’ the two technicians did not dare to do anything in the area of ​​foreign exchange. No substitutions for 90 minutes, because they interpreted that even a possible substitution would have broken the spell in a negative way for the introduction of the eleventh man.

One goal in time

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And so they played 10 against 10 for 90 minutes. The hosts, who started in the relegation zone, scored through Abdoulaziz Traore in the 26th minute of the first half and doubled their lead in the 57th minute through Ousmane Nana, then allowing himself the luxury of miss a penalty. Thus came the first victory of this 2023 for Sonabel, at the eleventh attempt. The ranking smiles, the tip of the marabouts respected.