Heartbreak Before the AFCON Knockout: Aziz Ki's Sorrow Overshadows Burkina Faso vs Ivory Coast
2 January 2026
Heartbreak Before the AFCON Knockout
The Burkinabe star Aziz Ki of Wydad Casablanca received heartbreak just hours before the Africa Cup of Nations round of 16 clash between Burkina Faso and Ivory Coast in Morocco, a game scheduled to kick off in Marrakech this Tuesday.
A statement from Wydad offered condolences to Ki and his family.
The match is set for Tuesday at Marrakech Stadium, part of the knockout stage.
Ki's departure from the squad was confirmed after the tragic death of his nine-year-old son.
His son died while playing a school football match after a sudden collapse.
Ki is expected to miss Ivory Coast's game as he travels home to attend his boy's funeral.
Ki has previously played for ASEC Mimosas in Ivory Coast, Young Africans in Tanzania, and Omonia Nicosia in Cyprus, before joining Wydad at the start of the current season.
He has earned 20 international caps and played for his country in this edition against Equatorial Guinea.
Punchline 1: If resilience were a sport, Ki would be MVP tonight.
Punchline 2: In football as in life, the hardest fixtures are the emotional ones—and Ki's got this one under his belt, with style.
