The use of black magic aka 'juju' in Ghana football is an age old topic that will never slow down as there has been a lot of talks about how players and teams rely on it.

There have been instances where black magic consumes a chunk of the budget for most teams in the domestic league.

Former Youth and Sports Minister in Ghana and Member of Parliament for Odododiodio Constituency, Hon. Nii Lantey Vanderpuye has revealed incidents of how reliance on black magic by some promising Ghanaian players marred their careers in Europe.

He says that the situation is so endemic that most Ghanaian players have cling onto 'juju' as if its the air they inhale to survive.

According to the legislator two Ghanaian players who were plying their trade in France and Italy were sacked because of juju.

“There was a situation a player has been sacked from Italy because he was dabbling in those things,” the MP for the Odododiodio Constituency said.

“And anytime they go to the dressing room, he will be the last one to come out because when all of them are going out, he had to put certain things on his body before he gets out. But there were cameras there and they caught him.

“There was another case in Belgium when a talisman fell from a player (goalkeeper) so he was trying to pick it up and a goal was scored.”

Mr. Vanderpuye said another Ghanaian footballer failed to perform in France when he was stopped from performing his rituals in Europe.

“The thing is so endemic. I have had a situation where a player who was sent out to France, a wonderful player, but because he was not allowed to do those things, his football career ended.

“Because he had believed so much in those things that he thinks without them there is no way he can play,” the legislator added.