Cyrille Domoraud

Cyrille's career has taken him around Europe. He has played club football in Spain, Italy, Turkey and France. He has played for Inter Milan and Marseille and is now with Creteil, top of the French second division. For Cyrille to captain Cote d'Ivoire in the World Cup will be a dream come true.

"For me, it will be the icing on the cake. I am near the end of my career and to finish like this with the World Cup. You could not ask for more".

I always believed in God but in order to ward off evil influences or bad luck in his career my father encouraged me to dabble in witchcraft. I took part in ceremonies with witch doctors. This was symbolized by a ring that I wore. It had been given to me and was supposed to protect me from spells and accidents and all bad things".

When I got injured while playing for Marseille, my sister prayed for me and told me to get rid of the ring. But I would not. One day, we were sitting in the living room and we were talking about God and I told her that I knew that God had his hand on my life.

As we were talking I took my ring off and I told my sister, 'Well, I think that today I'm ready to thank the Lord without having the witchcraft with me.' And so I told my sister that the next day I would get rid of all the rest of my lucky trinkets. And I got rid of them all and it was then that I really became a Christian.

I would always pray before a game, because to me, the changes in my life have always happened because God had His hand over me. That's why it happened. Without that, I would have been another person and perhaps I would have had a better life, but not this life and I think that's God's hand.

The legacy that I would like to leave behind is the training center that I set up. The center that allows some kids from bad neighborhoods, who without that center, might be on the streets. Those kids today get an education and football coaching. [10 of them have represented Cote d'Ivoire in their age-group.]

Because of the education they receive from the director of the center, who's a Christian, and by the presence of my sister, who is a Christian as well, those children have a chance to know the Lord. And with the help of God, they may be able one day to have the same career that I've had. This would be something I'd be proud of.