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DOES MUTI WORK IN FOOTBALL?

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Players go into the net before the game.
Players go into the net before the game.

THE use of Muti in football is still a taboo topic!

But the fact remains, many football teams in Mzansi and Africa still believe in Muti.

Whether or not Muthi does indeed contribute to individual players and teams performances, is a question that no one has a definitive answer to.

Nevertheless, this has not stopped footballers and sport people in general from partaking in the ritual.

READ: SHALULILE'S CELEBRATION WORRIES COACHES

Many of them, however, will rarely admit to it.

It is worth noting, though, that the country’s elite league clubs have seemingly moved away from a heavy reliance on muti in recent times.

But superstitions remain part and parcel of the game.

For instance, during the Soweto derby, Orlando Pirates players have made it a bit of a habit to converge inside the goal posts.

A team official then sprinkles some sort of powder on the goal line.

The two Soweto giants, Pirates and Kaizer Chiefs, have always been associated with such practices, especially when they face each other.

A former Chiefs player, who wished to remain anonymous, revealed how he used Muti during his playing days.

"I would not say it was to get an advantage over my opponents or anything like that," said the former player.

"I just wanted to protect myself in the field of play because we all know that other players also have their own things that they use to put down others.

"I can tell you these things do work my brother, there are a lot of clubs and players who still practice to this day. It's only that they will never come out and say 'I use muti.'"

ALSO READ: TAU SENT STERN DRBY MESSAGE!

A PSL coach, who spoke to SunSport on condition of anonymity, said he had an experience with muti in his dressing room in the past.

"As long as it's not stuff that's illegal and will put the player at risk then i don't mind," said the coach.

"This is Africa, these things happen. As a coach you don't want to infringe on other people's beliefs and culture."   

Former Pirates midfielder Teko Modise previously revealed in his book, The Curse of Teko Modise, the rituals that used to take place during his time with the Buccaneers.

“Players would bath in a special mixture‚ then shower‚ climb back into bed and try to sleep before the game.  Even with this practice the results were not improving,” reads an excerpt from Modise’s book originally published in 2017.

In a more recent incident, former Maritzburg United coach Eric Tinkler once complained about ‘a bad odor’ in their dressing room during a play-off match against Tshakhuma Tsha Madzivhandila.

Tinkler stated that there was something in the dressing that made his players itch and he insinuated it was muti.

Watch videos of some of these rituals below:

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