The Burn's Tenywa Bonseu and his Ugandan teammates lost 1-0 to Rwanda in an important African Nations Cup qualifier this Saturday. From the sound of it, it was one weird match: "before the goal there was serious controversy, after charges that Rwanda goalkeeper put 'juju' into the goal he was defending, trying to influence the result through witchcraft. Both a Ugandan player and a security officer tried to remove the offending substance after Mossi placed it, the result being a bloody brawl that cleared both benches." http://www.mlsnet.com/content/03/90min0609bonseu.html
Weird but not unusual when it comes to soccer in Africa. This is not the first time I have heard about accusations of witchcraft on the pitch. Wasn't there a goalie who was ejected from a 2002 World Cup qualifier because he was accused of using voodoo magic?
What's interesting is that the Rwandan goalkeeper managed to post a shutout after using juju. Maybe some MLS keeper will want to give it a try too.
Durring 1998 World Cup qualifying Peru brought in an Incan priest to bless the pitch and put a curse on the opposing team which I believe was Chile. Didn't help though.
What percentage of people who think this sort of ritual is odd don't think twice about someone crossing themselves before they come onto the pitch?
http://www.dcunited.com/index.cfm?section=main&cont_id=144648 You would think with all the white in DC's away uniforms this year that they were secretly practicing Santaria. It doesn't seem to be working.
The amazing thing isn't that the player did it, but that the other team was trying to undo it. I mean I've never seen a keeper run out and try to catch the PK shooters hand between his heart and head. 8)