Scams can happen in any form. It could be said that each one is created specifically to each situation. To me, a prominent one are the love ones. The scammers would catfish people and constantly ask for money.
In sport, scams are barely a thing. However, they do occur. In these cases, family members of athletes will be reported as missing and a ransom has to be paid. In normal circumstances, the finances are fine. No actual violence takes place.
However, a recent news story flipped that script. A Senegalese up and rising goalkeeper got kidnapped and killed as a result of being unable to raise the funds for his release.
The Senegalese football community is in mourning, after the death of 18-year-old Cheikh Toure was confirmed on Saturday.
Cheikh Toure, a promising talent from the Espri Foot Mbul Academy, was found dead in Kumasi, Ghana, after falling victim to a cruel scam run by fake football scouts.
Toure, who left Senegal earlier in October 2025, believed he was traveling to Ghana for a professional club trial – a supposed gateway to his big break. Instead, he was abducted, held for ransom and killed when his family couldn't meet the kidnappers’ financial demands.
Earlier this year, Toure was contacted by individuals claiming to represent a North African club, believed to be in Morocco. They presented themselves as legitimate scouts, offered him a trial and urged him to come to Ghana to finalise the paperwork.
When he arrived in Kumasi, instead of a football pitch, he found himself trapped by a criminal network. The scammers kidnapped him and contacted his family, demanding thousands of dollars for his release.
His family, who were unable to gather the ransom, watched helplessly as their son’s fate took a dark turn. On 16 October, Toure’s body was delivered to Manhyia Government Hospital by a man identifying himself as Issah, reportedly his brother. Issah claimed Toure had been in a car accident but the hospital staff immediately questioned the story – his injuries suggested a violent assault.
The body was moved to Ebenezer Mortuary in Tafo-Kumasi for an autopsy. Investigators later discovered that Issah’s version of events was false, prompting suspicions of his involvement.
Senegalese authorities confirmed his death on 20 October, calling it, "a barbaric act born of deception."
The Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs of Senegal released a statement announcing the murder of the young goalkeeper, after he was found lifeless in Ghana.
The scam led to Cheikh being held hostage by his captors, who then demanded a ransom from his family in exchange for his release. Unfortunately, the family’s efforts were in vain and the criminals carried out their threat and killed the teen.
The Senegalese authorities have opened an investigation into Cheikh’s kidnapping and death in collaboration with the Ghanaian police. The joint task force hopes to shed light on the exact circumstances of the tragedy.
In a public statement, a spokesperson from The Ministry, expressed its, "deep compassion to the grieving family." The spokesperson said the investigation was being carried out, "with the greatest attention and priority."
The incident sparked swift reactions in both Senegal and Ghana.
Senegal’s Ministry of African Integration and Foreign Affairs condemned the murder saying, "The young footballer was deceived by fraudsters posing as scouts. When the ransom could not be paid, they took his life."
The ministry vowed to work closely with Ghanaian police to ensure those responsible face justice. In Ghana, the case was immediately classified as an "unnatural death." Inspector-General of Police, Christian Tetteh Yohuno, dispatched a team of homicide detectives and forensic experts to Kumasi.
Police spokesperson, Grace Ansah-Akrof, confirmed that discrepancies in Issah’s account had become a central focus of the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Senegalese Embassy in Accra has been coordinating with Ghanaian officials to repatriate Toure’s remains and assist his grieving family.
The authorities have strongly urged clubs, supervisors and parents to "exercise extra caution in the face of unverified offers of tests or transfers abroad."
A press release also said that young athletes in Senegal should "always go through official circuits and obtain information from the sports authorities before any trip."
Fans online have called for thorough investigations even as they mourned the 18-year-old. Genius X said, "We do not want only the repatriation but also the arrest of these bandits. It is time that the bilateral agreements of ECOWAS serve us for something. Arrest these bandits, please."
Djiby Ba said, "We hope that a thorough and fair investigation will be conducted. My sincere condolences to his family and much courage to his mother."
Toure’s death highlights a darker side of African football – a growing web of fraudulent recruitment schemes that exploit young athletes’ dreams of escaping poverty.
A 2024 FIFA report estimated that over 1 500 young players fall prey to fake scouts annually across Africa. Many are promised trials in Europe or North Africa, only to be extorted, abandoned or worse.
Similar tragedies have unfolded in Nigeria, Cameroon and Libya, where teenage players disappeared or were stranded after paying fake "transfer fees." The root causes remain the same: poverty, unregulated academies and limited oversight of agents.
Following Toure’s death, Senegal’s sports ministry has urged clubs and families to verify all international offers through official channels. Ghanaian authorities have echoed the warning, calling for a continental crackdown on sports-related human trafficking.
Cheikh’s body is currently in the process of being repatriated to Senegal, French Football Weekly reported.
What happened is despicable. Someone shouldn't go this low just to pocket some cash. Scammers are just the scums of the earth. They take advantage of vulnerable people who are willing to do just about anything to escape what they are supposedly accused of. I am including myself in this. I nearly got scammed earlier this year. I was traumatised during the initial calls. I was threatened with spending time in prison. I soon realised that it was a scam after some thinking and research.
I hope the police catch the scammers and punish them to the fullest extent of the law.