The Council of East and Central Africa Football Association (Cecafa) has promised to wage a battle against the use of Voodoo or Juju (depending on how you wish to call it) by member clubs.

The regional football governing body, made the announcement yesterday through Secretary General Nicholas Musonye in press release copied to Times Sport.

Cecafa announced several measures that would enhance the reputation of its competitions. Among the issue raised by the regional body was the use of what they described as ‘witchcraft’.

"Any team that tries to express or show signs of practicing witch-craft or juju will be penalized, because we do not believe such practice can improve football in our zone,” the release read in parts.

For eternity, the use of juju or voodoo in African football has been as common as the prolonged droughts and unrelenting poverty on the continent and there is no sign of the three giving in to any substitution.

The use of ‘witchcraft’ is nothing new to anyone following African football (across the board) starting with our very own local clubs.

Such incidences of the use of external forces, other than the true science of football are a common feature in African football.

The vivid example involved some senior local players during recent local matches between Rayon Sport and Atraco and against between Atraco and APR.

During the match between Rayon and Atraco, one player spent the entire game not only protecting his goalkeeper but also his ‘magic stick’ that he had planted in the goal.

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