AFCON grows more professional, but belief in magic still follows the game

A short video from the Africa Cup of Nations showing a Benin supporter undoing what appeared to be a charm during a match against Congo quickly went viral, becoming one of the tournament’s most talked-about moments.

Beyond the humor and surprise, the clip reopened a familiar debate in African football: the role of belief, ritual, and so-called magic in a sport that is increasingly professional and data-driven.

Belief in supernatural influence has long been part of African football and is well documented by researchers and journalists.

Studies of East African football culture show that fans, officials, and sometimes players perform symbolic acts before major matches, including carrying talismans, offering prayers, wearing lucky clothing, or following specific routines.

These practices are not meant to replace training but to complement it, reflecting broader cultural ideas about protection, success, and fate.

Academies, fitness regimes, and tactical planning coexist with rituals that some view as providing psychological comfort or moral support. Similar dynamics have appeared repeatedly throughout AFCON history.

One widely cited example dates back to 2002, when members of Cameroon’s delegation were reportedly questioned for placing an object on the pitch before a semifinal against Mali. The incident dominated headlines and remains a reference point for fans today.

Across the continent, the vocabulary used to describe these practices varies. In West Africa, juju broadly refers to charms, prayers, and symbolic objects believed to bring protection or luck. In Central Africa, fans may use the term gris-gris, while in parts of East and Southern Africa, muti describes traditional medicines or rituals associated with strength or confidence. Though the terms differ, the underlying concept is similar: belief as a way to manage uncertainty.

Not everyone accepts this logic. Beninese supporter Lefty Hounnou firmly rejects the idea that belief or ritual influences football results. For him, matches are decided by preparation, physical condition, and mentality.

“Football is first a game of passion,” he said. “Using magic in football will not bring anything.”

Hounnou argues that modern football leaves little room for belief-based shortcuts. He points to academies, daily training, and structured player development as proof that success is earned.

“Today, to be a player, you train every day, you work on your abilities. You don’t come to football relying on magic,” he said. In his view, focusing on rituals distracts from practical concerns such as equipment, coaching, and team organization.

Asked about the viral AFCON clip, Hounnou said he had seen it but does not support mixing belief and football. While he respects personal faith, he insists it should remain private.

“Football today is not a game of chance. If you don’t work, you don’t get results,” he said. “The pitch should remain neutral, judged only by performance.”

Another West African voice, Thédie Aho Tododo, takes a broader perspective. He says belief systems are part of African societies, whether people embrace them or not.

“Every region has its history, its gods, its beliefs,” Tododo said. He cited traditions such as Senegalese marabouts and Beninese or Congolese Vodou, noting that for many people, these are religions rather than superstition. “It’s not just ‘fetish.’ It’s how people express their faith.”

Tododo said some fans believe in what he calls “small invisible forces” that provide psychological comfort or confidence. “People use little things they believe can help them have an edge,” he said. “Everyone uses the tools they believe in to feel more secure.”

However, he drew a clear line between belief and results. “If these things really worked in football, Benin would have already won the World Cup,” he said, laughing. “We would all be using it.”

Football remains a collective effort that belief alone cannot change. “A big match is about a group, about many minds working together,” Tododo said. “There is always a winner and a loser. Sometimes people say the other side had stronger invisible forces, but in reality, it’s still just a game.”

When belief fails, he said, fans simply move on. “They say, ‘It didn’t work today, maybe tomorrow.’ That’s faith.”

Tododo declined to name specific rituals or practices, saying they are private and tied to religion. “In Benin, for example, there are many divinities, but for the people it’s religion,” he said. “Just like Christianity or Islam elsewhere. I can’t name things or expose them. It’s about respect.”

For many fans, these practices are not serious predictions about results but a way to navigate uncertainty in football.

Tunde Afolayan, a Nigerian supporter, said he has often heard about juju in football conversations back home.

“People will joke or say things like ‘they were protected’ or ‘something unusual was done.’ Most of the time it’s just language fans use to express surprise when a game goes differently than expected,” he said. Such expressions reflect cultural references that extend beyond football into everyday life.

In Zimbabwe, former footballer Memory Mucherahowa wrote in his autobiography about how teams sometimes consulted traditional healers and used charms before matches. He recalled that belief in these practices was strong within his club, though he himself remained unsure whether they affected performance.

Stories like these are echoed in fan discussions online, where people share personal experiences or anecdotes. At the same time, players, coaches, and analysts push back, viewing these beliefs as superstition rather than explanation.

Past interviews with former Ghana national team members included comments that players sometimes used traditional spiritual actions for “luck” or confidence, though others said reliance on these ideas can distract from tactical preparation and training.

Former coaches have publicly criticized the notion that spiritual intervention can determine match results, emphasizing that hard work, strategy, and fitness shape outcomes.

In 2024, fact-checking organizations also weighed in. During the previous AFCON, a widely shared claim that an Ivorian goalkeeper wore a “black magic amulet” under his shirt was proven false by AFP; the photo circulated was old and unrelated to the tournament.