The hit song from the last Africa Cup of Nations, "Coup du marteau" (Hammer Blow), which accompanied Ivory Coast to the continental title, is now banned from being played throughout the country. This decision was made by the Abidjan Court of First Instance following a financial dispute between its authors.

Like a hammer blow. While Ivory Coast qualified for the round of 16 of the 2025 AFCON at the very end of their incredible comeback against Gabon on the last day of the group stage, it was impossible for the country's fans to celebrate this success by legally streaming the title "Coup du marteau".

The hit song that swept across the African continent (and even the world) during the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast is now banned from streaming and broadcasting throughout the country. This decision was made on December 24th by the Abidjan Court of First Instance, as reported by Brut Afrique.

A dispute over revenue sharing

Produced by rapper Tam Sir and presented as a collaboration with Team Paiya, the iconic anthem has been a smash hit on streaming platforms for two years now, racking up nearly 160 million views on YouTube alone. It has become practically inseparable from the competition, and its melody continues to resonate this year during halftime of matches in the stadiums of the Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

But the song has been silenced in Ivory Coast by members of the group Team Paiya, who feel wronged by what they consider an unequal distribution of royalties, related rights, and other download revenues. They claim to be co-authors and assert that they fully participated in the creation, recording, and promotion of the track. These royalties represent enormous financial returns, estimated at several million CFA francs.

Tam Sir in the crosshairs: 100,000 CFA francs fine per day of delay

Team Paiya is made up of six artists: Doupi Papillon, Noukou Loba, Zagba le Rekin, Momo Hayek, Toumalewé, and Samo Samo. Supported by their lawyers, Joëlle Likane and Ismaël Koné, the group filed an injunction to temporarily suspend the broadcast and exploitation of the song. As plaintiffs, they accuse the rapper Tam Sir of falsely claiming sole authorship with the Ivorian Copyright Office. The group has thus obtained a provisional victory. Tam Sir is ordered to pay 100,000 FCFA for each day of delay.

The court has ordered the suspension of the title on all accessible distribution platforms (digital streaming platforms, audio and video media) within Ivory Coast. This decision is provisional, and the case remains pending a final resolution. The exact duration of the suspension has not been specified and remains limited to Ivory Coast.