NewStats: 3,265,032 , 8,185,384 topics. Date: Friday, 13 June 2025 at 08:19 AM u4c9

There is always a sense of magic when Kylian Mbappé weaves in and out of multiple defenders to score a breath-taking solo goal.

's 23-year-old superstar striker certainly mesmerised a Paris crowd on Thursday to score the opener in a 2-0 win over Austria.

What made the strike in the Nations League game particularly significant, however, is that it came after a witch doctor allegedly used supernatural powers to destroy his talent.

The Marabout – an African mystic who claims vague links to Islam – is said to have been paid by Paul Pogba, the 29-year-old and ex-Manchester United midfielder, to cast evil spells on Mbappé, 23, investigators have been told.

Jealously of a younger teammate was the motive, it is claimed by suspects charged with trying to blackmail Pogba out of more than £11million.

Five of them, including one of Pogba's elder brothers, are now on remand and facing up to 20 years each in prison over a range of charges including 'extortion in an organised gang'.

They claim to have recorded a video showing Pogba speaking to the Marabout, who calls himself 'Ibrahim the Great' and charges as much as €100 (£88) an hour for his services.

As the case intensifies, the Mail on Sunday has learnt that Pogba did indeed pay a sorcerer to help him with his injury-plagued career.

However, he vehemently denies that this had anything to do with Mbappé and said he 'never intended to harm anyone'.

Pogba instead told investigators working for 's Central Office for the Fight against Organised Crime (OCLCO) that he was 'looking to be protected against injury' and 'also to help poor kids in Africa' he was in connection with through an aid organisation.

Two judicial sources in Paris confirmed the revelations – and the transcript from interviews completed last month – as they worked on the explosive investigation.

Called 'Operation Penalty', it is not only creating hell for Pogba himself – he is under police protection while ruled out of playing because of injury – but threatening to scupper 's defence of their World Cup in Qatar in November.

Further horrifying details from the investigation include Pogba describing how he was threatened by two hooded men brandishing assault rifles after being lured into a flat in Chanteloup-en-Brie, in the eastern suburbs of Paris on March 19.

He was in the city on international duty, four days after a burglary in Manchester which saw his wife, Zulay, and the couple's two young boys threatened.

Also present in the Paris property were four of Pogba's childhood friends, identified as Boubacar C., Adama C. and two brothers called Roushdane and Machikour K.

Pogba claims he had his mobile phone taken away and was told to pay the £11million in return for 'protection fees' going back 13 years – the length of his professional career – and also for a guarantee that the Marabout evidence, contained on a USB stick, would not be released.

'I was scared,' said Pogba. 'The two guys pointed their guns at me. Given I was being held like that at gunpoint, I told them I'd pay.

'They shouted: 'Shut up, look down'. One of them spoke in Roushdane's ear. When the two hooded guys left, Roushdane told me I had to pay otherwise we were all in danger.

'Roushdane said what had happened was usual when you are a famous footballer, but that I had to pay because he had vouched for me.'

Pogba began trying to raise the money, before being released at 4am, while being told that he would be watched.

In turn, the childhood friends said they were being threatened by a mafia-style gang who were controlling the entire extortion operation.

Roushdane K. said he had been shot in a hand by the unidentified gangsters, while Mamadou M. said they burned his car out.

After making an initial payment of €100,000 (£88,000), Pogba realised the blackmailers were stalking him around the training ground of his current club, Juventus, and so filed a complaint to the Italian authorities on July 16.

Among those he identified was his brother Mathias Pogba, the 32-year-old ex-Wrexham striker, who has since been charged with extortion, after allegedly posting a series of video messages threatening Paul Pogba. Mathias Pogba denies all charges.

On Friday – the day after the Austria games – Mathia's Twitter was reactivated, and he wrote: 'My brother has become a fan of witchcraft in recent years, becoming the follower of a sorcerer known as Marabout Ibrahim, called The Great.'

Repeating earlier accusations, Matthias reportedly wrote: 'My brother, on several occasions, cast spells on his football teammates, including the prodigy Kylian Mbappé, whether out of jealousy or to win a game.'

In turn, counsel for Paul Pogba decry such claims as being utterly false.

Leaked transcripts have also revealed that the chief of security for the squad knew Pogba was being threatened by 'a convicted murderer' four months before the opening of a criminal investigation.

'He was going through a particularly difficult situation,' the officer told investigators, adding that Pogba 'was afraid of being considered a snitch'.

This appears to be the reason why the officer did not report the extortion attempts to his colleagues or make any other attempt to open a formal criminal enquiry.

It was not until August that the complaint was finally extended to the French authorities.

Asked further about the gang, the officer said Pogba told him: 'They're in Dubai. He explained that there is a on the front line in and that these people had approached him directly and that they are also using his brother Mathias to make the liaison.

'Among these people, there was an individual who was convicted of murder and forced imprisonment'.

Pogba first spoke to the security chief in the same month as he was held in the Paris flat.

The security chief added: 'What I learned next was that these people even went to his house in Manchester. He was afraid for his wife and children who lived there.

'I advised him to put a security device in front of the places where his family live.

'As he knew that he was going to go to Turin he told me that he was going take that into for Italy.'

The scandal could not come at a worse time for the squad, who hope to become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to defend their World Cup title.

While Mbappé has publicly described Pogba as 'a friend' and indicated he is not unduly concerned by what is being said, resentment is smouldering across the squad.

'There is a feeling that there must be some fire to go with the smoke,' said a senior French Football Federation (FFF) source.

'Paul Pogba has some good friends in the squad who believe everything he tells them, but others are more wary.'

Didier Deschamps, the manager, has expressed his for Pogba but is also known to be deeply unsettled.

FFF president Noel Le Graet is meanwhile involved in a growing sex abuse scandal, in which he is accused of sending inappropriate texts to female FFF employees.

Amelie Oudea-Castera, 's sports minister, has ordered an investigation, saying 'all forms of discrimination and violence, including sexist and sexual violence' have to be fought against.

Le Graet denies any wrongdoing and has offered 'full transparency' to the investigation.

Pressing problems for Deschamps also include a growing injury list, which – beyond Pogba – has robbed him of stars including Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kanté.

It all adds up to a bleak picture for Les Bleus – one that alleged witchcraft is making considerably worse.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/sportsnews/article-11246581/Paul-Pogba-DID-hire-witchdoctor-not-spell--team-mate-Kylian-Mbappe.html

In summary:



Pogba is being blackmailed while Village people is after Football Team

Even footballers fear juju. Juju no be your mate oh

Some people went to civilised societies but civilisation hasn't entered them even after many years, I always keep friends who visit native doctors or spiritualists far away from me. No matter what reasons it was done, Paul Pogba is a big disgrace

See as them family come dey expose their yansh for public.

oz4real83:
Hi

Hello

Africans and witchcraft are 5&6. It's in this same that a female PSG player conspired for her teammate to be assaulted; with her legs pummeled with club sticks if not for God. The kain Africans wey dey that na wah o!

Look at how brothers are washing their dirty linen in public,,,,this should have been a case that they would have settled amicably with their family .

Everywhere he goes, controversies surrounds him.


A young lad that fails to focus on the most Important thing in his present and future. A good talent waiting away in every sense of it.

Oyibos are the biggest patronizers of Sorcerers, they believe that Sorcery and supernatural exists.

But here in Africa, an olodo that has refused to go to his village for the past 10-20 years out of the fear of village people, will use his phone and come online to form Woke, and be shouting "Jazz and supernatural does not exist".

Meanwhile Ask them to enter a mortuary room alone at midnight, they will curse your ancestors

lol there's no way u want to du u can neva take black power out of a black man mind....

Okay

Pogba has no reason to consult babalawo in the first place

But

Africans still have a lot of affinity for traditional religions, even if they claim to be Muslims or Christians.

Where is Righteousness when you need him bayi

But why are white people afraid of juju when they don't believe in it.

But some fools say no juju in football

Elebiiro:
What is the meaning of marabout?

alfa

Trust no one in this life... there's no betrayal without trust. Hence, everyone should just be a friend even your blood.

the way this Pogba behave on the pitch you will know that this dude is a disgrace, foolish Manure FC product

I'm outta here

anyway there's no time to check time 7:05

vinceyinnovation:
But why are white people afraid of juju when they don't believe in it.

Who told you that they don’t? You do juju them?

What I can deduce:
Pogba is into voodoo. He probably jaxed Mbappe. His brothers and friends are blackmailers. His career is about to kukuma end.

Pogba.., you should pay the dues you agreed. If you didn’t agree for them to protect you, why did you give them 95k pounds from the 11 million agreed?

Pogba is trying to play a fast one. But in these cases, it doesn’t end well. You went to cult, now you got popular, you don’t want to do again. It is not easy to get out as it seem.

African man

The fact that he patronized a spiritual man in the first place,for whatever reason, leaves a lot to be desired.

Pogba used the spell of a marabout witch doctor to protect himself from injuries yet he's still injury prone
What an irony

Apparently, talent is not enough. I wonder how many witches Messi (GOAT) pays every week.

hmm

everything connected with negativity always nose dives...

disapointed in pogba...if all those juju people could help themselves wont africa be topping the world?..see the african situaitions? negative charms will work temporarily...but in the long run take more from you..like its sucking africa, via useless and devlish leaders...

you can take some africans to canada but cant take the african out of some like paul pogba...him village people are pulling his strings hard..

i dont see him going far.. na Only God go rescue am...unless na nose dive from here

The truth is coming out gradually, the brother is not entirely wrong after all.
No wonder he flopped at Man U