'I told my family to run to the village if I missed' – Kalou recalls AFCON penalty fear

Former Côte d'Ivoire forward Salomon Kalou has revealed the extraordinary measures he took to protect his family from potential backlash before taking a decisive penalty in the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations final.

Speaking about the pressure of penalty shootouts in African football in an interview, Kalou revealed that, a night before the final against Ghana, he warned his family to leave their home and "run to the village" if he missed his spot-kick.

"The night before, I was talking with one of my friends and my brother. I told them, 'If we go to penalties and I have to take one, I just want you guys to pack everything, lock the house and go to the village. Wait for me there and only answer my calls after the game,'" he said.

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Kalou admitted he was not afraid of criticism directed at him, but was concerned about the consequences his loved ones could face if Côte d'Ivoire lost because of his penalty.

"If you miss and your team loses, you'll be the one carrying the blame. People will come to your house. Trust me. I wasn't nervous when I walked up to take the penalty; I was nervous the night before because my family would be blamed for something they had nothing to do with," he added.

The former Chelsea star explained that the emotional burden of representing an African nation often extends beyond the players themselves.

"If people insult me, that's not a problem. It's about your family, my mum, my brothers, my dad. That's the difficult part. But that's the passion behind football here in Africa," he said.

Kalou successfully converted Côte d'Ivoire's sixth penalty in the dramatic shootout, helping the Elephants defeat Ghana 9-8 on penalties after a goalless draw to win their second AFCON title.

Watch the video below:

“The night before the 2015 AFCON final, I called my entire family and told them that if the match went to penalties and I missed, they should all run to the village. 😭 I even told them to answer only my calls because I was terrified.”

— Salomon Kalou pic.twitter.com/6j0Q1UKSYf

— carter🌚 (@carter8f) July 13, 2026