Players used 'voodoo' under Westerhof

Bolt from the blues should be the best way to describe the revelation by the Super Eagles' former ubiquitous player, Emeka Ezeugo, that most of his teammates used juju to either curry favour or keep their places during the days of Clemence Westerhof as coach of Eagles.

Ezeugo, who made the disclosure in an exclusive interview with the Daily Sunsports in Abuja recently, insisted that it was then a common sight to spot fetish objects inside the rooms of players, even as he dismissed the potency of the practice in the game of football.

His revelation may not, however, come as a surprise to many that have read the confessions of veteran stakeholders and to those that have followed the unending debate on the potency of prayers and fetish practice in attaining successes in the game. It has become a tradition that just before every game, the Super Eagles got together on the pitch and say a prayer. They do the same thing before entering the changing room at the end of the first half and another before the beginning of the second half.

When, however, the game ended in disappointment, they won't bother to say another prayer. The meaning is that prayer and fetishism have become nothing but superstition.
Speaking on the efficacy of voodoo practice, while sharing his experience in the national team, Ezeugo, said: “There are people who believe in it. There is juju in football. When I came to the national team in 1987, there was juju everywhere. Those days, players made maximum use of it. If you go into their rooms, you will see them hanging the stuff,” he revealed.

The Nigerian former international was wittier when he disclosed how he psychologically warded off any spiritual attack from his teammates with his India background, quipping that all of them thought he had fortified himself with Indian charms.
“But I did not care about their fetish lifestyle or did I allow it to scare me. I believe in my God who is my only juju. I did not fear anybody and luckily, for me, I came from India. They all thought that I had fortified myself with the finest juju. It really helped me to walk into any of them and even dine with them without any fears. It was even more surprising to them that I started playing the first time I joined the national team.”

Taking the debate further, Eagles' former strongman, Taribo West, had confessed that he spent the greater part of his fortune servicing marabouts to make himself invincible to strikers both at the national team and clubsides.
He had told the media then: “I spent up to N5, 000,000 on juju and in Senegal, I spent money every month to make rituals. This is aside from what you give to the ritualists directly, and for their personal use. I went to Guinea and did some. I did some in Nigeria. The type of juju I was doing was, basically, to make me remain a solid rock in the defence.”

A self-appointed national team pastor had once revealed how Supporters Club led by Dr. Rafiu Ladipo cost the Super Eagles trophy in the finals of the Mali 2002 African Nations Cup by disobeying his divine directives.
The pastor, who spoke on condition of anonymity had lamented that the upporters club in fragrant disobedient to his directives to remain steadfast with prayers ahead of the crucial match, opted to sacrifice a ram close to the team's camp a few minutes to the kickoff, resulting in the Eagles finishing with the tournament bronze.