President General of the Nigerian Football Supporters’ Club, Rafiu Ladipo has admitted that for many years Nigeria used black magic, popularly known as juju, to win matches.
Speaking on a Lagos Television (LTV) programme Tuesday, Ladipo, who has been leading Nigeria’s cheer party for over two and half decades now, admitted to the use of juju in the team, but was quick to admit that the practice has now been discarded on realising that there was no place for voodoo in football.
Ladipo is regarded as the country’s foremost cheerleader who has travelled the world leading thousands of supporters to cheer Nigeria to victory.
"I was carrying Super Eagles juju for so many decades until we came to realise that juju doesn’t play football,” Ladipo said on the television programme. "We have decided to put a stop to it as there are no links between football and voodoo.
"Now we believe only in praying and fasting to help Nigeria win their matches."
Nigeria has won the Africa Cup of Nations twice, on home soil in 1980 and in Tunisia in 1994.
There have been various allegations that players also employed juju to win places in the national team ahead of their rivals.
In 2010, former World Cup star Taribo West told a local newspaper how he sought spiritual powers in Senegal at the height of a career which took him to the likes of Inter Milan, AC Milan, AJ Auxerre and Kaiserslautern.
Ladipo will lead about 300 supporters to Nelspruit, South Africa, to cheer the Eagles to victory in this month’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The Super Eagles are drawn in Group C along with champions Zambia, Burkina Faso and Ethiopia. They open their campaign on January 21 against Burkina Faso.
Naij
If that's true..times have changed!
ReplyDeleteAFCON: HOW SUPER EAGLES COUNTERED MALI’S JUJU – UNBELIEVABLE!
For those that don’t believe black magic plays a part in football, an official with the Super Eagles has informed how the Eagles of Mali players broke two eggs on the Moses Mabhida Stadium turf as they came for the warm-up section in Wednesday’s Semi-Final clash.
The official, who begged Sporting Life that his name should not be revealed, said: “I have never seen such a thing in my life though I have heard time without number that ‘juju’ can play a role in African football.
“As we set the pitch for the Eagles stars to begin the light warm-up section before the semi-final game, there I spotted two Malian players stoning to the ground eggs as they prepared for their own section.
“Another official who also witnessed the incident, called me and gave me a bottle of Anointing Water (from T.B. Joshua) to sprinkle to the spot. That I did. I was not surprised when the Malians made the Eagles look ordinary in the opening 15 minutes of the game.
“My joy is, God showed He is above every evil when, after the Mali Eagles dominance, we countered and scored our opening goal.
“We then went on to score four goals before they got a consolation.”
- Sporting Life
The power of hard work and prayer will triumph over the power of evil and juju/voodoo in sports. This should be a lesson for sport administrators in Africa. Sport administrators should draw up good programs for sports in Africa to develop and encourage home based talents and with adequate preparations to excel in sports.Thanks Tani for your contribution.
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