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Witchcraft in the soccer pitch
2008-02-15 09:32:45
By Editor
Let us face it; does witchcraft have a place in football? It is high time this issue was addressed, given the role that alleged witchcraft masters play in the so-called shaping up of soccer teams for victory.
It is claimed that there is no shortcut to victory, that it is essential to employ the services of `technical committees,` which are actually groups of people who are supposed to undertake head hunting for the most effective traditional `doctor` who will secretly help steer a team to victory.
To say the truth, the existence of witchcraft practices in the soccer pitch have reached alarming levels, such that fans or `technical committee members` are seen slaughtering goats or birds on the sidelines before the matches start.
The whole business swallows a huge chunk of money, because the team `doctors` are usually claimed to demand exorbitant consultative charges, and in cases of big teams or the national soccer teams, are quietly smuggled into the plane and rented in posh hotels where players reside when they travel for foreign matches.
At times, it is alleged that these doctors of the underworld are lose heir way while strolling in foreign cities and fly back home by sheer luck when the team they came to protect had already lost the match and flown back home.
This raises the question if the so-called witchcraft practiced in African soccer to ensure good performance for a favoured side and bad luck for opponents had ever propelled a soccer team, say of Tanzania, to winning the Africa Cup of Nations or the World Cup.
The existence of traditional `doctors` who accompany our teams for friendly or league matches can be easily denied by soccer authorities.
However, if we want to be true to ourselves, and call a spade a spade, these things take place, and have done so for years.
The total dependence of players on magic can be attributed to the dismal performance of our soccer teams, due to the fact that they neglect scientific soccer laws and the coaches’ instructions and are thus easily trounced, especially in international matches.
Juju, ndumba and other magical terms are so common in African football and here in Tanzania such that whenever our teams lose, the blame goes to the wrong party or false justifications are given for obvious mistakes.
Add to that the time and money which the headhunting and maintaining the witchcraft masters consumes.
There are even allegations that most of the monies intended for such undertakings usually ends up in the pockets of `technical committee` members while the actual player—the Jujuman—smart as he can be, gets peanuts.
The ban on public witchcraft practices in the soccer pitch has been effective in the World Cup, and needs to be reinforced in local matches.
It is high time the whole issue was put in the open and debated by soccer fans and stakeholders, otherwise superstition will continue to ruin our football industry and cheats will go on stealing money contributed by football lovers for developing the sector.
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