
Sport lovers and enthusiasts are looking forward to the display of
African ‘witchcraft’ at the world cup tournament starting in Brazil this
week. Particularly many will be looking out for Ghanaian witchcraft and
how it will get Ghana to win its matches. Thanks to a local
spiritualist, the Ghanaian witchcraft is already wreaking havoc. Claims
by the country’s ‘most influential witchdoctor’, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, have
made headlines around the world. Bonsam has declared that he would use
his ‘magic’ to stop Cristiano Ronaldo from playing at the world cup, or
at least from playing Ghana. The reasons for these weird claims may not
be far fetched.
Since FIFA announced the teams that would play in the different
groups, fear had gripped many Ghanaians. Ghana is in group G- the world
cup’s group of death-with Portugal, Germany and USA. And Ghana must beat
Germany or Portugal to advance. It is not certain that Ghana will beat
the US. To many Ghanaians, beating one of the two countries will be
difficult that is why Kwaku Bonsam is offering his free spiritual
services at this critical point in time. And he is going after Ronaldo.
Bonsam said he used some occult means to orchestrate Cristiano
Ronaldo’s recent knee injury which caused him to miss a friendly match
against Greece. The knee injury is an ‘evidence’ that his magic is
working. According to Bonsam this marks the beginning of Ronaldo’s
sorrows. Series of injury will eventually prevent Ronaldo from playing
at the world cup. There is no confirmation yet that Ronaldo has been
ruled out of the world cup due to this injury. But Bonsam is already
claiming that this would happen. He has marshalled his sympathetic
magical wares against the world best player. What effects will that have
on Cristiano Ronaldo? Will Kwaku Bonsam succeed in getting Ghana to
lift the world cup through his magic?
Nana Kwaku Bonsam claimed to have conjured a special powder from his
gods. He mixed the powder with leaves and concoctions and placed them
around the photos and caricatures of Cristiano Ronaldo. In addition, he
plans to use ‘four dogs’ to produce a special magical charm called
‘Kahawiri Kapam’
This charm will spiritually inflict Ronaldo with serial injuries that
would keep me out of the world cup and likely out of playing
professional soccer for life. Wow!
Bonsam states that the injury was spiritual and had no cure. By
making this claim, Kwaku Bonsam has stretched his paranormal nonsense
too far. He is making a caricature of himself and his so called powers.
Bonsam is exposing his supposed witchcraft influences to international
ridicule.
The belief that incurable diseases are magically orchestrated is
popular in Ghana. Claims of causing incurable illness are among the
driving forces of witchcraft accusation in the country. So, it is
‘understandable’ when one makes such wild claims in a country where many
people cannot afford adequate health care and therefore rely on
traditional and faith healing system.
Magic and medicine mix in the traditional and faith healing system.
Weird claims like those made by Nana Kwaku Bonsam are common.
Bonsam has demonstrated his charlatanry by thinking that his
‘witchcraft’ abracadabra can apply in the case of Ronaldo who can access
the best health care in the world. Witchcraft is superstition and
thrives due to fear or ignorance. Nana Kwaku Bonsam and others who
peddle such superstitous claims are miners of popular fears and
anxieties. Magic has practically not place in football. Magical charms
can affect those who believe and use them psychologically probably by
boosting their confidence or morale. But the psychological impact is so
marginal that it cannot be responsible for claims like the ones Kwaku
Bonsam is making. If witchcraft is effective in football, many African
teams would have lifted the world cup.
But my question is this: Why Ronaldo? Why Portugal and not Germany?
Is Ronaldo the only player in the Portuguese team? Why is Bonsam making
this claim in reaction to the injury? Why can’t he now be prophetic in
his so called magical schemes and now tell us who else will be injured
among the German or Portuguese players? If he has the magic to make
Ghana win, must he injure Ronaldo to accomplish this?
If he has spiritual powers as he claims why can’t he join the Ghana
national team and use his powers to secure victory for them in Brazil?
This is not the first time witchcraft related claims are featuring in
Ghanaian football. In 2012, the then coach of Ghana, Goran Stevanovic
attributed the failure of Ghana to beat Zambia in the Semi Final African
Cup of Nations to accusations of witchcraft. He claimed that the
players were using ‘black power’ against each other, and this negatively
impacted their performance. Coach Stevanovic said a change of mentality
is needed to get rid of this negative trend in Ghanaian football.
But that change of mind has not happened and may not happen for now
due to the operations and pronouncements of the likes of Kwaku Bonsam.
So as the world cup tournament kicks off in a few days time, people are
looking forward to seeing ‘black power’ in action, Ghanaian witchcraft
will surely be on trial.