From Abidjan to Marrakech: The comedian driving across Africa to the TotalEnergies CAF AFCON 2025 in Morocco
Sacko Camara has never approached the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations like most football fans. For the Franco-Ivorian comedian, the competition has become both a personal odyssey and a canvas for exploring the continent.
What began as a joke over a missed flight promotion has evolved into a sweeping, high-stakes road expedition from Abidjan to Marrakech — a journey mixing humour, humanitarian purpose and an unshakeable love for African football.
His latest mission takes him across the West African coastline to experience the TotalEnergies CAF Africa Cup of Nations, Morocco 2025, weaving together challenge, charity work and adventure on an XXL scale.
A joke that became a journey
The origins of Camara’s project lie not in a grand plan, but in a moment of comic frustration. Months before the 2023 AFCON in Côte d’Ivoire, he hesitated while searching for a ticket to Abidjan. Prices surged. Annoyed, he vented to a friend in the airline industry, exclaiming: "If that's how it is, I'll go by car!"
The laughter faded quickly. Camara began wondering if the idea was actually possible. Could someone really drive to Abidjan from Paris? The thought snowballed. The brain, he recalls, “goes into overdrive.” Soon, friends Randy and Chris joined in, turning a passing joke into a life-changing plunge.
The trio travelled across Europe, into the Sahara and over multiple borders. They lost their way, found it again and pushed themselves to new limits. A kind of African-style Mad Max adventure — but in a car, with playlists and deep friendship rather than dystopia.
Their arrival in Abidjan sparked smiles across the city. One man, however, saw something else coming. Former 113 rap star Mokobé whispered to him: "It's okay, you did it. Everyone will be waiting for you at the next AFCON."
Camara laughed then. But the prophecy stuck.
A new challenge, a new direction
Eighteen months later, Camara is no longer munching alokos in Treichville. Instead, he is poring over maps of West Africa with the focus of an inspired cartographer. This time, the point of departure is Abidjan — and the destination Marrakech.
The itinerary winds through Guinea, Senegal and Mauritania before reaching Morocco.
On paper, the comedian insists, "The scheme is simple." But in reality, the terrain, the borders and the unpredictability of African roads promise a far greater challenge.
That, he says, is exactly the appeal: pushing past reason to turn a football tournament into a profoundly human expedition.
A journey with purpose
This new trip goes beyond camaraderie, humour and endurance. Camara and his team have partnered with the NGO WhatWater, which works to improve access to water across the continent.
"We really want to do good around us," he says — rejecting the idea that this is mere marketing or influencer posturing. For him, it is about giving back to a continent that shaped his roots, language, culture and laughter.
At each stop, the team intends to meet communities, support water-related initiatives, and document stories seldom seen by mainstream cameras. Reaching the AFCON is only one goal. Reaching people who live far from the spotlight is another.
The beating heart of Africa’s roads
Camara imagines the journey as dense, unpredictable and full of life. The road will deliver breathtaking landscapes, spontaneous stories and encounters that linger. From Conakry to Dakar, Dakar to Nouakchott, Nouakchott to Dakhla — and finally Marrakech.
There will be sandstorms, endless checkpoints, mechanical hiccups and wide-open spaces. There will be villages where generosity is a way of life; stadiums where passions erupt; laughter shared across languages; and quiet moments where the vastness of the continent becomes clear.
Football remains central to Camara’s story. He recalls Côte d’Ivoire’s painful exits to Egypt with a grin: "Gabaski traumatized us! I saw him like that, he took all the cages!"
Behind the jokes lies sincerity. For Camara, the Africa Cup of Nations is more than a competition — it is a cultural celebration, a time of unity and warmth.
AFCON as a homecoming
Born in Abidjan and raised in France, Camara carries the AFCON as a fragment of childhood memory. Like many in the diaspora, he sees in it a combination of joy, unpredictability and raw emotion.
"In Côte d'Ivoire, I found love, joy, good humor, fair play. That's all I'm waiting for, because we need it."
He believes that in today’s world of tension and division, the AFCON remains a beacon of connection. His journey embodies that search for unity — imperfect, bright and deeply human.
Marrakech on the horizon
For Camara, the Marrakech finish line represents more than a physical destination. He expects full stadiums, flags waving, sweat-soaked duels, chants echoing into the night and nerve-shredding extra time. But he insists the essence lies in the kilometres travelled, the encounters made and the energy shared with people who may never have entered a stadium but still hold the AFCON dear.
The road — long, hard and magnificent — is where the real story lives.