ZAMBIA: FOOTBALL COACH FIRED FOR PRACTISING MAGIC JUJU RITES

LUSAKA, Dic 18 (IPS) - THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION OF ZAMBIA (FAZ) HAS SHOWN THE RED CARD TO ASSISTANT NATIONAL SOCCER TEAM COACH, BONIFACE SIMUTOWE FOR ALLEGEDLY ENCOURAGING PLAYERS TO PRACTISE JUJU RITES.

THE DECISION TO SACK SIMUTOWA, BELIEVED BY SOURCES WITHIN FAZ TO BE BEHIND THE GROWING USE OF JUJU AMONG NATIONAL TEAM PLAYERS, WAS VEHEMENTLY OPPOSED BY DANISH COACH RONALD POULSEN.

IT IS THE SECOND TIME IN SEVERAL YEARS THAT AN ASSISTANT COACH HAS LEFT THE ZAMBIAN TEAM. THE FIRST WAS IAN POTTERFIELD WHO QUIT FOR UNDISCLOSED REASONS.

PLAYERS ALLEGED THEY WERE GIVEN CHARMS TO PUT UNDER THEIR SHIN-GUARDS DURING THEIR 1-1 DRAW GAME AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA ON NOV. 13.

ONE PLAYER, WHO REFUSED TO BE NAMED, SAID HE WAS GIVEN AN UNCHARACTERISTICALLY HEAVY JERSEY BEFORE THE MATCH. "I HAD TO WASH IT IN THE SHOWER TO FEEL BETTER," HE CLAIMED.

THE BELIEF IN JUJU IS NOT A NEW PHENOMENON IN ZAMBIAN SOCCER. THE KABWE WARRIORS' HISTORIC FEAT IN THE LATE 1960S WHEN THEY SWEPT ALL THE SILVERWARE, INCLUDING THE LEAGUE TITLE, IS LARGELY ATTRIBUTED TO THE USE OF AFRICAN CHARMS.

SIMUTOWE'S BELIEF IN JUJU IS TRACED TO THE DAYS OF THE WARRIORS WHEN THEY USED TO GO INTO THE BUSH THE DAY BEFORE THE MATCH WHERE THEY WOULD MEET THEIR TEAM'S WITCH DOCTOR. WHEN THEY CAME BACK THEY WENT STRAIGHT TO THE PITCH, NEVER SHOOK HANDS WITH ANYONE INCLUDING THEIR SPOUSES.

AND WHEN ZAIRE BEAT ZAMBIA 2-0 AT THE INDEPENDENCE STADIUM HERE IN 1973, IT WAS ALLEGED THAT ZAIREANS USED JUJU.

ZAMBIAN GOALIE, JOSEPH CHOMBA, CLAIMED THEN THAT WHENEVER ZAIREAN PLAYERS KICKED THE BALL TOWARDS HIS GOAL-MOUTH, HE SAW A TRAIN SPEEDING AT HIM INSTEAD OF A BALL, WHICH NATURALLY FORCED HIM TO FLEE FORTHWITH FROM THE MOUTH OF THE GOAL MOUTH.

A FORMER PROFOUND WARRIORS PLAYER, BENARD TEMBO, ALLEGES THAT SIMUTOWE PRACTICED A LOT OF JUJU WHEN HE COACHED HIS TEAM.

"WE USED TO BE TAKEN TO FUNNY LITTLE PLACES IN THE SHANTIES WHERE WITCH DOCTORS ADMINISTERED POTIONS TO US TO ENABLE US TO WIN MATCHES," HE SAID.

RETIRED BORN-AGAIN DEPUTY SKIPPER OF THE TEAM, EMMANUEL MUNAILE, CONFIRMED THAT SOME PLAYERS BELIEVE IN JUJU AND THERE WAS VERY LITTLE ONE COULD DO ABOUT IT.

© Inter Press Service (2014) — All Rights Reserved. Original source: Inter Press Service