Spiritual Support: How African Football Teams Turn to Witchcraft
Spiritual Support: How African Football Teams Turn to Witchcraft
African football players, team officials, and fans employ various rituals and practices, often turning to sorcerers to gain an edge over their opponents.
Although such practices are prohibited in many African countries, belief in their power persists.
Here are the most prominent examples of African traditional healers who have claimed to influence football match results :
Kahone, a Senegalese traditional healer, accurately predicted the national team's victory in the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations and subsequently called for official state recognition.Karamoko Sinayoko, a self-proclaimed marabout from Mali, was arrested for alleged fraud after collecting approximately $39,000 in donations when the Malian team lost in the quarter-finals of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
Nana Kwaku Bonsam, a Ghanaian witch doctor, gained notoriety for cursing Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo, claiming responsibility for the player's injury. This year, he has predicted Portugal's victory in the World Cup (watch the video ).
Ngoy Lingueul Mbaye served as the Senegalese team's official marabout during the 2002 World Cup, providing spiritual support, protection, and luck to the players.
The Sorcerers of Akradio, witch doctors from the village of Akradio, became unofficial partners of the Ivorian Football Federation in 1992. They were promised payment for their services but reportedly never received compensation, which allegedly contributed to the Ivorian national team's poor performances. After government officials apologized for failing to fulfill their payment promises, Côte d'Ivoire achieved remarkable success, winning two Africa Cup of Nations titles and qualifying for several World Cups.
When it comes to Nigerian and Cameroonian teams, they have a long-standing reputation for consulting traditional healers in villages and so-called juju, who sometimes were blamed for players' failures at the major international tournaments.
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