Sports

Zimbabwean Soccer Player Drowns During Cleansing Ritual

by Jon Azpiri | October 7, 2008 at 02:47 pm

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A soccer player in Zimbabwe drowned after being forced to take part in a so-called "spirit cleansing" ritual in the Zambezi River. A state newspaper reported that team officials for the Midlands Portland Cement made the unidentified player and 16 teammates perform the ritual prior to a match against Victoria Falls club, Sao Paolo.

"The technical team told every player to get into the river so that they could be cleansed of bad spirits," it said. The paper quoted local police commander Peter Rodzi as saying that after the swim, the other players had noticed that one of the team was missing. "The area where the team was swimming is prohibited as the current is strong. The river is also infested with crocodiles and hippos," said Rodzi.

Belief in the ability to improve luck, known as "juju", is commonplace in Zimbabwe and many African countries.

Zimbabwean football teams and many others in Africa are steeped in supernatural beliefs. Football officials and players are convinced most football stadiums are fortresses for home teams because of juju, and routinely perform certain rituals to overcome “bad spirits”, but rarely do the rituals result in death.

Farayi Mungazi, a former Zimbabwean football commentator now reporting widely across Africa for BBC World Service told New Zimbabwe.com: "How can these things still happen in this day and age? It's unbelievable. I have heard stories galore on juju right across Africa but this is tragic. It's got to be the worst because someone actually died."

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josiemitchell

at 15:51 on October 7th, 2008

This is a tragic story. I think it best to keep in mind though, that juju is not that foreign from playoff beards, home field advantage or other lucky charms considered "normal" in the western world.

The Nite Tripper

at 19:38 on October 10th, 2008

This is a very tragic story. The Zambezi River is a beautiful river, but it is also deadly and should be approached carefully.

The Nite Tripper has contributed a photo to this story.

Vanillashotz

at 23:47 on October 10th, 2008

This is an unbelievable tragedy. The Zambezi is as beautiful as it is dangerous and the locals are well aware of its dangers, from the undercurrents to the hippopotami and crocodiles which inhabit it.

Vanillashotz has contributed a photo to this story.