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Bothwell Mahlengwe
I HAVE read with surprise so many newspaper articles of soccer players, coaches and administrators denying knowledge of the rampant use of juju in Zimbabwean soccer.
As someone who has been strongly involved in football for close to three decades, as a player, club administrator and now columnist, I know for sure that juju use is rife in Zimbabwean football.

The use varies from individual player to team use, from technical team member to the whole technical team use, from individual administrator to the whole club use or a combination of all the above.

At times those who practise it do it openly, but most of the times it’s done in secret.
However, the strong denials have left me wondering if juju use is the same as witchcraft, an act viewed as evil and shameful in our society.
The biggest question I haven’t had any satisfactory answer to is whether juju really works.

And if it does, how does it work?
Is it beneficial, detrimental or sacrificial?
Last year, we had pictures of lit candles in How Mine’s changing rooms while they were playing a Cup game.

This year we have had accusations that Dynamos manager Richard Chihoro is a juju man who circles the Highlanders bus before a game and we have seen players also blowing snuff into the air.

We have also had several incidents of coaches and benches being drenched in urine.
Until recently, most teams would resort to undesignated entry points into the playing field.

In my playing career, I experienced worse; to an extent of finding human waste on the pitch.
Eggs and pork were the order of the day. Wet socks and uniforms were also common.

Classic ones include being denied water in the blistering heat of October in Kariba because it was alleged that the home team’s juju doesn’t work when the opposition use water on the pitch.

We also had classics at “Baghdad” in Kwekwe.
You had to backpedal when entering the playing ground and then you were not supposed to cross the centre line until the home team had done so.
It was most bizarre five minutes of my playing career as both teams didn’t cross into either’s half.

We also had popular figures who were known as juju wizards.
There was one in Highfield, one in Hwedza, one in Glendale and several from Chipinge. It was also not surprising to hear that teams were using the same nánga.
There were also coaches who were well-known for using juju and they would travel through the night to unknown places to go and get the muti.

In recent years, there has been a slight shift from n’angas to mapositori and from muti to holy water and stones.
Certain coaches have popularised this new phenomenon to the extent of asking the whole team to be involved and have the team visit the prophet’s shrine a day before or on the day of the game.

Most teams now have their “rituals” that they perform before a game. Some pray facing the east, Dynamos pray kneeling on the goal line they are defending and others pray with a certain player in the middle of a circle.

They are divergent views as to the effectiveness of juju in football but the most popular school of thought that l also subscribe to is that these are just psychological mind games.

One thing I am sure of is that juju would not make you any better than you really are.
At best, it is claimed, it just makes the others fail to perform in their normal way.

However, use of juju isn’t without repercussions. Experience tells us that there is always a “payback” for juju users. And in most times the “payback” isn’t a desirable one.
I have heard of players who have had nasty injuries because of juju. Some have even gone mad. I witnessed one who developed rash the whole body after some rituals

were performed on him the night before the game.

To make matters worse, his career didn’t reach its potential because of that incident, it is claimed.
I, personally, question juju’s effectiveness because of two reasons — firstly, it doesn’t make you better than what you already are.

If you are not a good ball passer, use of hoards of juju, water or stones won’t make you a better ball passer.
Only training does.

Secondly, if it really worked, then juju users would be in the best leagues in the world earning huge salaries.
Sadly, the best that the majority of our players have done is Super Diski across the Limpopo River.

It is sad that juju use is introduced to innocent, gullible, ignorant and young players who normally are not aware of its repercussions.
There are proven scientific ways that can boost a player’s self-confidence without undesirable paybacks.

You just have to prepare adequately and hone your craft to the best of your abilities. The first requirement for any athlete to perform at your best is to be at the best condition. This alone boasts your self-confidence.

The second is that you polish your skills to the highest level. This requires you to put in the hours. Scientific research has proven that it takes at least 10 000 hours for anyone to become a master at his/her craft. You just have to go the extra mile.

Thirdly, you need a strong support-and-challenge system. You need people who push you to go the extra mile at the same time providing you with the necessary advice and expertise for you to improve.

No juju, water or stone can make you fitter and better than consistent, focussed and continuous practice. Even the Bible says it, ‘you reap what you sow’. The key word is ‘sow’, that means putting in the hours.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi look like over-confident magicians but in addition to their natural talent they have done what they do several times at training. Through repetition they know, believe and certain they can do it.

We have undertaken a little experiment with one player in our top-flight league and asked him to write down his short-term, medium-term and long-term goals.
He did and gave me the paper to keep.

We agreed to meet once in a while to discuss progress and areas that need improvement.
It’s amazing what this has done to the young man’s performance and career. He is at a moderate team. Last year, he was relatively unknown. This year his career has taken a giant leap. He is sure to make the calendar which was one of his goals.

He has been featuring in the national team set-up; another one of his short-term goals.
Focus and practice can get you there.

Bothwell Mahlengwe is a banker and former Premiership footballer and can be contacted, for feedback, on the email — [email protected]