Moussa Gningue: The “Wizard of Fass” devoted 45 years to the stable September 25, 2026
Some actors have left their mark on the arena with their exploits before reinventing themselves or retraining after their career. The section “What happened to them?” » tells of their post-career life. Today, the spotlight is on Moussa Gningue, the emblematic former mystical preparer of Mbaye Guèye, his brother Moustapha Guèye and Gris Bordeaux, who has now passed the baton to his heirs.
In the arena, some fight with their bare hands, others work in the shadows. Moussa Gningue was one of those whose presence preceded the big fights of the members of the legendary Fass stable. Behind Mbaye Guèye, Tapha Guèye, Gris Bordeaux and others, he was the man of mystical preparations. His name has thus forged a reputation mixed with respect, fear and mystery. For almost half a century, Moussa Gningue lived in the heart of the legendary Fass stable. He occupied a unique place there, that of mystical preparer, advisor and trusted man alongside the three “Tigers” of Fass: Mbaye Guèye, Tapha Guèye and Gris Bordeaux. His presence in the entourage of the champions fueled the curiosity and sometimes the fear of their opponents. Nicknamed the “Sorcerer of Fass”, he claims 45 years of experience in this field, or more, and recounts the mystical practices which have accompanied several generations of wrestlers. It is therefore not wrong to say that for decades, his face was inseparable from that of the great champions of Fass. He occupied a special place. It is his reputation which actually earned him this nickname of “Sorcerer of Fass”, as his name was associated with the mystical preparations preceding major battles.
In the privacy of champions
Born and raised in Fass, he claims a deep belonging to this neighborhood and this sporting family. He spent several years in the world of wrestling, having entered it at the age of 15. He often repeated that he could leave the enclosure, but never the Fass stable. Before becoming a well-known figurehead in the ranks of Senegalese wrestling, Moussa Gningue had also played football. He says he played at Jeanne d’Arc in Dakar, at Jaraaf and at Us Rail. He also worked at Oncad. Experiences which contributed to anchoring him further in the Dakar sporting environment. His story with Fass was mainly written alongside several generations of wrestlers. He accompanied Mbaye Guèye, first “Tiger de Fass”, then Tapha Guèye and Gris Bordeaux. He remembers the long preparations preceding the big battles, the travels across Senegal and the sub-region, but also his relationships with different marabouts. With Mbaye Guèye, the relationship went beyond simple preparation. Moussa Gningue describes an emblematic champion who worked hard on a physical level while giving an important place to mystical practices. “Mbaye Guèye weighed between 75 and 80 kg. He was training hard. This did not prevent him from doing mystical practices. He went to Banjul, Casamance, Mali and many other countries in the sub-region for his protection. It is true that the first “Tiger of Fass” was very talented and stubborn, but he really did not neglect the mystical aspect. He was convinced that it was part of this sporting activity,” he admits, his memories vivid. According to him, “the mystical is an important aspect in the struggle. It is in the world of wrestling that we feel its effectiveness the most. But, the wrestler must learn to wrestle and be physically on top. The mystic constitutes the third force of a wrestler. That doesn’t mean he should be underestimated.”
With experience, he believes that “the mystical, we inherited it from our great-grandparents. They had strong mystical beliefs.” He also claims to have “once heard Yékini confirm the importance of mysticism in this sport”. The former King of the Arena said that an athlete could not be technically gifted without doing mystical practices, based on his own experience. During his long career as a mystical preparer, Moussa Gningue says he has witnessed facts that are surprising to say the least. In particular, he recounts a scene that occurred during the preparation of the legendary fight between Mbaye Guèye and Sa Ndiambour. “During his fight against Sa Ndiambour, Mbaye Guèye did some boxing training sessions in the handrail. A photographer had approached him while he was shooting shots into space. Suddenly, the air that the “1st Tiger” produced when launching his shots carried away this photographer who fainted.” Another striking memory: the fight between the same Mbaye Guèye and Boy Bambara.
Fascinating anecdotes
“A marabout gave us substances to boil. He told Mbaye Guèye that if he made them warm up before 4 p.m., the fight would not take place. We had not followed his advice and had boiled the said materials around 12 p.m. And before 2 p.m., the information that Boy Bambara was not going to fight had fallen. Never seen before! », he reveals, stunned.
After the retirement of Mbaye Guèye, Moussa Gningue was responsible for the mystical accompaniment of his younger brother Moustapha Guèye. The latter focused more on training. “On a mystical level, it was I who dictated to him what behavior to take,” he informs. According to his testimony, Moustapha Guèye also benefited from the support of certain personalities of the State, who contributed financially to his spiritual or esoteric preparations. The former president of the Fass team Momar Ndiaye also helped him in this area. After Moustapha Guèye, he continued his mission with Gris Bordeaux, officially inducted “3rd Tiger of Fass”, on the occasion of Moustapha Guèye’s jubilee on August 8, 2010 at the Demba Diop stadium. In 2011, Moussa Gningue recounted in particular the importance he had attached to the Gray Bordeaux–Bombardier fight, fought on July 22, 2007, to the point of devoting considerable resources to it. He then explained that he had sometimes spent double, or even triple, the sums entrusted to him for the preparations. On the day of the fight, Gris Bordeaux had gained the upper hand over the “B52 of Mbour”, triggering immense jubilation in the arena and in Fass. A victory to which Moussa Gningue believes he contributed in his own way. The poster which polarized all passions still remains engraved in the memory of fans.
As the years passed, Moussa Gningue chose to step away from the arena. He explained that he had decided to retire after several decades of presence, in particular due to internal disagreements and developments in the team which no longer corresponded to his vision. But, leaving the mystical preparations does not mean turning your back on Fass, who could be considered as the one and only entity of struggle in your life. For the dignitaries of the stable, Moussa Gningue remains “an advisor whose experience deserves to be passed on to the new generation”. A certain Thierno Diop first took over before retiring in turn. Moussa Gningue then entrusted this mission to his children. This is one of the particularities of his career: transmission.
A retirement without interruption
He reveals to us that his children agreed to accompany Madiagne Guèye, son of Tapha Guèye, nicknamed “Son of Tiger”. He explained to them that they had accompanied him for a long time on his trips to the marabouts. “I was doing the work with two of my heirs. They are intellectuals, but I went with them to see marabouts,” he says.
The goal, he continues, “was that they too could have potions and amulets and make personal use of them. So I never left alone. I managed to have at least one of my children by my side.”
Even far from leading roles, Moussa Gningue continues to leave his mark in the arena. His legacy is not limited to the mysterious stories told around Fass’s great fights. It is also that of a man who devoted a large part of his existence to a stable whose identity he still claims. At a time when a new generation is gradually taking over, the “Sorcerer of Fass” remains a living memory of the stable. A witness to a time when major wrestling matches were prepared both in the training rooms and behind the scenes, far from the eyes of the general public.
By Abdoulaye DEMBÉLÉ
