Supernatural football: Juju in Africa

Superstitions are not uncommon in sport, and football and its players are no exception to this rule. From the greatest in the sport to the myriad others hoping to become so, weird practices/routines before, during or after the game are as much as a part of playing the game itself. But does the practice take so much predilection that players concentrate more on persuading supernatural powers to help them out rather than putting their hard work on the field? Apparently, yes!

Africa: Where beliefs lord over ability and hard work?

In Africa, where Juju is common among local people, the footballers are not that much different. According to Wikipedia juju is An object of any kind superstitiously venerated by West African native tribes, and used as a charm, amulet, or means of protection; a fetish. Also the supernatural or magical power attributed to such objects, or the system of observances connected therewith; also a ban or interdiction effected by means of such an object. African footballers have been known to go to great lengths in getting juju to work for them as they believe charms and spells help them become victorious and at times even work against their opponents.

Not long ago, Goran Stevanovic, former Ghana coach, attributed his team failure to win the AFCON 2012 to players who try to outdo each other using black power or Juju. In his report after the tournament in which the Black Stars finished fourth, Stevanovic said, “We all need to help in changing some players’ mentality about using black power to destroy themselves and also make sure we install discipline and respect for each other.”

Player and administrators too strongly believing in juju could spell doom for African football

Ask former Nigerian footballer and Mohammedan Sporting (Bangladesh) coach, Emeka Ezeugo about juju and he is quick to say that all that will not work. “If juju worked for some players, why did we not win the World Cup with it?” It was reported that his team-mate Taribo West spent a large chunk of money on juju but Ezeugo did not want to delve too much on the topic saying, “I will let Taribo answer any question related to him.”

Not long ago, Ezeugo is supposed to have spoken to the media about his time with the Super Eagles and how most of the players used juju to keep their places in the team. Ezeugo is supposed to have said during the disclosure that there are players who believed in juju and when he came to the national team in 1987, there was juju everywhere with players hanging all sorts of amulets to curry favour with the powers in their changing rooms.

Even if the claims may not surprise many, Ezeugo squashed these reports saying it was only by a journalist who was trying to take the short-cut to success and that he never made any of those claims. Speaking exclusively, the former defender said “I began playing for Nigeria in 1987, that was different time all-together. Any player who believed in such rubbish quickly lost his place in the team. Juju doesn’t play football.”

Even if juju was not prevalent in the team Ezeugo was a part of, African football is rife with practices that often border on the extreme. Randy Joe Sa’ah reports for the BBC that it is quite common in Africa to find teams camping out nights in a graveyard before an important match. International teams have gone as far as not using the host country’s facilities such as rooms or vehicles as they fear they could be contaminated by harmful charms.

Of course, ridding the country of such practices would be so much easier if the people who claim to have powers and the people who believe in them reduce, but that seems unlikely as even top administrators try to help their team ride their luck by sending out witchdoctors as members of the federation.

Former Technical Director of Nigeria Football Association (NFA), Kashimowo Laloko, once told the BBC World Service programme that he believes juju can change the course of a football match. “I believe it does exist (juju). As an African, we have our customs and tradition.”

In 2002, the BBC reported that the Ivory Coast government had to settle a 10 year dispute with witchdoctors who claimed that they had a hand in the team’s triumph in African Nations Cup in Senegal in 1992. The doctors were apparently hired by the Ivory Coast Sports Minister.

Cameroon’s then minister of sport and physical education, Michel Zoah also clearly indicated that the government was sending out witchdoctors as team staff as he said during the press conference that the team’s failure was due to many things, one of which being witchcraft not being effective.

Reports all over the net indicate the lower leagues are plagued by such practices.

With so many people at the very top also believing in juju helping their teams in winning, it would be tough for Africa to rid their lower leagues of such practices. Reports all over the net indicate the lower leagues are plagued by such practices and teams openly take part in them. But had juju worked, African would have been raking in the money and swimming in glory ages ago. Alas, they still have a lot to do. Before long, could become a disease and affect player/team performance like none other.

Ezeugo sums up everything brilliantly with the quote of the interview. In his own words: “If juju works in football, India will be winning every World Cup. India has no rival in jadu (magic).”