An African chief has claimed that some clubs on the continent use witchcraft on referees to gain an advantage.
The chairman of the Ghana FA Cup Committee, Wilson Arthur, has alleged that Ghanaian clubs resort to 'juju' or witchcraft to manipulate referees in domestic competitions.
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The owner of Skyy FC - who compete in the Division 1 league - insists that match officials are placed under supernatural spells by clubs seeking to gain an unfair edge, reinforcing long-held beliefs in the power of spiritual intervention in football.
Arthur made these claims in the aftermath of shocking upsets in the FA Cup Round of 16, where heavyweights Hearts of Oak, Medeama, and Gold Stars FC were eliminated by lower-tier sides.
"The league has so many matches and there is a lot of interest at stake. People must understand that it's competition. Ways and means are part of the process to win a match," Arthur told Asempa FM, as quoted by GhanaSoccernet.
"Referees are always put under a spell. The referees are worked on, the players and coaches are worked on spiritually."
He added: "For instance, I was asked to leave my seat while watching a match because I was told my team had been put under a spell.
"The moment I left my seat, we scored a goal. Personally, I don't believe these things, but there are weird things in football."
The Ghana Football Association is said to have been working to promote ethical conduct and maintain the integrity of the game amidst such claims.
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