How they use JUJU (FETISH) power in Nigeria professional football league (NPFL) on their fellow team-mates.

Many years ago, stories were abound of how clubs in the Nigeria league would not allow their players go through main entrances into maibowls of some stadiums before games. Some even went as far as the ridiculous extent of scaling perimeter fences to gain entrance into the pitch. Reasons are that fetish substances may have been poured on the ground and stepping on them would mean defeat. 

Players and officials having their baths with waters prayed on by prophets and native doctors were also rampant practices. Taking match day jerseys to prayer homes and shrines overnight before a game were also widespread practices and not forgetting clubs who won’t wear certain colors of jerseys. 

There are Nigerians who believe that the national teams must avoid wearing certain collars like the green jerseys to avoid defeats. 

Boots and briefs

Findings and personal experiences have shown that two precious items Nigeria league players guide jealously are their underpants and football boots. 

A chat with some league players who wouldn’t want their names in print revealed why they protect these items.

“Boss, this world is a struggle and a battle ground. I know of a player who washed his boxers and put them out to dry but couldn’t find them when he went to pick them. The person that took them later returned them and the player foolishly wore them for a match and he ended up in hospital”, he revealed. 

Another player explained how he lost his first team place because he gave out his boots to a friend. 

“A teammate asked to use my boots to play a game and I gave him because I didn’t suspect anything evil. He returned them and the day I used them I picked up an injury that sidelined me for months and he took my place in the team”.

Could these be mere superstitious beliefs or assumptions, I probed. 

“Oga, everybody don shine him eyes o! Na survival of the fitness we dey now. No player go leave him boots or pants for outside, na to guide them like watchman”, another player who plays for one of the big clubside in the eastern part of Nigeria said with all seriousness. 

A foremost football administrator and club chairman, Emmanuel Zira gave credence to the practice 

“It is sad. So very sad! It is real! I mean the fear. I first experienced this fear amongst playears at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt with late Chief Oyuki Obaseki (former chairman of the elite League in Nigeria). “However, as a Christian i always believe in prayers and fasting to defeat these evil, but it is a real and it’s happening, the former Adamawa United Football club boss admonished.

China Acheru, a sports journalist of note who follows the Nigerian league and one time Media Officer of Dolphins Football Club of Port Harcourt narrated his personal experience. 

“Since my 2nd year at Dolphins in 2004, I started seeing this. Players are scared of each other because of fetish so they do not want to expose their stuff and I do not blame them”, he began. 

“In 2005 our top scorer was injured for two thirds of the season. Till today he blames himself for giving his boot to another player in the team after training”, he concluded.

Meanwhile, officials of the League Management Company (LMC) organizers of the league and some club administrators that I also spoke to agreed with Mr Zira and Mr Acheru but insisted that the culture would die a natural death with more education.

Big thanks to Mr Godwin Enakhena (@genakhena on twitter) For giving me the privilege to publish this article on my blog. 

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