Sports

Footballers Who Fell Under Spell Of Witch Doctors

Published

2 years ago

November 14, 2023

Editor

“It was like a spiral,” said Gilles Yapi Yapo, a former Ivory Coast international football star who said he was cheated out of 200,000 euros ($213,000) by a witch doctor.

“You are like a slave and it can be really damaging,” the 41-year-old said of the two years he spent under the spell of a traditional healer, or marabout.

The midfielder, who now manages a team in the Swiss second division, was “going through a difficult period” playing for the French Ligue 1 side Nantes when his uncle recommended he see a healer in Paris.

“I wasn’t really attracted by the occult,” Yapi Yapo told AFP, “but growing up in the Ivory Coast going to a marabout was normal, and it isn’t seen as bad as long as you are not looking to harm anyone.”

The healer said his family had been “cursed”, which was stopping him “succeeding and being happy” and prescribed making “sacrifices to counteract the curses”.

Sacrificing a cock, goat or ram started at 500 euros and began to climb to “colossal sums”, he said.

Then one day it became darker, “something like black magic”, Yapi Yapo said.

“The marabout made me believe that the spirits he worked for liked me and wanted to make me rich.

“That was the bait,” he said.

– ‘Sacrifice his son’ –

The sacrifices needed to attain these riches cost “40,000, 50,000, then 60,000 euros”.

When the footballer got financially stretched, the witch doctor said that “‘if he has no more money he’ll have to sacrifice his son’. I had the strength to say ‘stop’ and I never went back to him,” Yapi Yapo said.

In two years, he said he was conned into paying 200,000 euros, and got “nothing positive back”.

“He knew how to put me into a spiral and I lost the ability to think clearly…”

The footballer said his Christian faith helped give him the strength to put an end to the hold the marabout had on him.

Some witch doctors “threaten vengeance”, he said, “so there is a fear of breaking away from them.”

Joel Thibault, an evangelical pastor to several top athletes in France, has had to deal with the “disastrous consequences” of footballers and basketball players caught in similar circumstances.

“I know there are clubs that allow players to go to Senegal after they get injured because doctors can’t treat them. They come back and play with amulets and protection belts.”

Those who go to healers in France have told him “that when things are going less well they are told to make more sacrifices, to pay more for them, and then it spirals,” Thibault added.

“I see the damage… players who are depressed and who have had suicidal thoughts.”

– ‘He became like a god’ –

Another Ivory Coast-born footballer, Cisse Baratte told AFP how he went through the same hell.

When he began playing for a top club in Abidjan at 16, he was told that healers could make him perform better and protect him “from jealousy”.

Sports

Edo Female Cricket League 2025 Takes Off Amid Applause From Sports Commission Boss

Published

1 day ago

October 13, 2025

Editor

The 2025 edition of the Edo State Female Cricket League bowled off at the weekend in Benin City, drawing commendation from the Executive Chairman of the Edo State Sports Commission, Hon. Amadin Desmond Enabulele.

In a statement released through his Media Officer, Mr. Edoko Wilson Edoko, Enabulele hailed the tournament as another major step in grassroots sports development, describing it as the true foundation of Edo’s growing sporting excellence.

He praised Governor Monday Okpebholo for sustaining a conducive environment for sports to thrive, noting that Edo has now become “a sporting hub in Nigeria, hosting viable tournaments that nurture young talents for national and international glory.”

The Sports Commission boss highlighted cricket’s steady rise in the state, recalling Edo’s strong performances in national competitions such as the Sports Festival and the National Youth Games, where state athletes bagged gold medals.

“We’re deliberately investing in sports beyond football. Cricket is one of those with huge potential, and we’re determined to keep catching them young,” Enabulele said.

The weekend fixtures lived up to expectations, producing some thrilling moments across two venues in Benin City. Adolor Amazons and Emotan Queens recorded early wins in the opening round of matches.

At the Centre of Excellence for Women’s Cricket, Iyoba Girls College, Ekpoma Supernova CC beat Idia Royals CC by two runs in a nail-biting finish. The Supernova team, who had scored 47 runs all out in 18 overs, fought back dramatically to bowl out their opponents for 45 after initially trailing.

Coach Emmanuel Eromosele, still thrilled by the result, said he had “almost given up,” but credited his players’ resilience and fighting spirit. Team captain Peculiar Agboya added, “We had a lot of young players out there today, but we believed in ourselves and it paid off.”

At the High-Performance Centre, Edo Boys High School, Emotan Queens CC crushed Adolor Amazons CC in a low-scoring affair, chasing down 20 runs in just three overs. Their coach, Osamudiamen Ikpomwen, described the result as “a good day for us—two games, two wins. But we know we can always do better.”

The league continues on Saturday, October 18, with Emotan Queens CC facing Ekpoma Supernova CC at Iyoba Girls College, while Adolor Amazons CC take on Idia Royals CC at Edo Boys High School. The top two teams will meet in the grand finale on Sunday, October 19.

Sports

WCQ: Haaland Scores Hat-trick As Norway Thrash Israel 5-0

Published

3 days ago

October 11, 2025

Editor

Erling Haaland scored a hat-trick to pass 50 international goals in record time as Norway cruised to a 5-0 thrashing of Israel on Saturday, edging closer to qualifying for a first World Cup since 1998.

Norway, who have not played at a major tournament since Euro 2000, now lead Group I with nine points more than second-placed Italy, who have two games in hand and play in Estonia later Saturday.

The Scandinavians will secure a place at next year’s finals in the United States, Canada, and Mexico with a win over the Estonians on Tuesday if Italy fails to defeat either Estonia or Israel in their next two matches.

Manchester City striker Haaland is the leading scorer in European qualifying with 12 goals so far.

He also became the fastest player in men’s international football to reach 50 goals for his country and now boasts 51 goals for Norway in just 46 games.

England captain Harry Kane held the previous record, bringing up his half-century in 71 appearances.

Ahead of kick-off, hundreds of people attended a pro-Palestinian demonstration, chanting “Free Palestine” to protest against Israel’s “genocide” in Gaza, AFP journalists reported.

The head of the Norwegian football association, Lise Klaveness, recently said she was pushing “for Israel to be sanctioned”.

In early action, Haaland surprised the Norwegian fans in the Ullevaal Stadium when his penalty was saved by Israeli goalkeeper Daniel Peretz.

The spot-kick was ordered to be retaken for encroachment inside the area and Haaland struck his second effort in the opposite direction, only for it to be parried away again by Peretz.

But Norway did forge ahead in the 18th minute through an Anan Khalaili own goal, before Haaland raced clear to score in a ninth successive international appearance.

The hosts grabbed their third just seconds after Israel kicked off again in the 28th minute, as Peretz kicked the ball off Idan Nachmias, who was under pressure from Haaland, and into the net for another own goal.

Nachmias also had to go off injured after colliding with the post.

Haaland added his second in the 63rd minute, powering home a header from Antonio Nusa’s cross, before nodding in to complete his hat-trick with 18 minutes left.

Elsewhere, Hungary beat Armenia 2-0 in Group F, meaning Portugal could qualify with back-to-back wins over the Republic of Ireland, who they were facing at home later Saturday, and then Hungary on Tuesday.

Sports

Just Like Football Clubs, Let’s Sign Foreign President To Fix Nigeria – Actor Okele [VIDEO]

Published

4 days ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Popular Nigerian actor, Tunde Usman, professionally known as Okele, has proposed ‘signing’ of foreign Presidents to fix the country.

The actor made the suggestion while reacting to Nigeria’s current economic hardship.

Reacting to the increase in price of cooking gas across the nation, Okele in a now trending video shared on his Instagram page proposed a football method of removing a non performing coaches to address Nigeria’s challenges.

Speaking in Yoruba, the actor argued that adoption of the football method might solve constant disappointment with elected leaders.

“Greetings to all Nigerians home and abroad. May God help us soften this hardship. I just thought of something about gas, fuel and the way things are expensive in Nigeria.

“If you are a lover of football you would know that every club has a coach, assistant coach, and those that train the keepers. So, instead of campaigning for different political parties with some looting our money, why can’t Nigeria look around the world and sign any ex-president that has proven himself in another country to fix Nigeria.

“Even many football nations signed coaches from different countries. Maybe we should adopt the signing of the President method to end different political parties campaigns. Let’s come together and sign our President the same way we signed the coach and we can sack the non performing President and sign a new one.”