(Jose Sena Goulao/EPA)
The Portugal soccer team announced Wednesday that star Cristiano Ronaldo is battling a thigh injury and knee tendinitis as the team prepares for the World Cup, which begins next week. The injuries could be the result of the usual wear and tear that come with Ronaldo’s busy club schedule while playing for Real Madrid. Or, you know, a Ghanian witch doctor.
Here’s the Guardian:
Ghana’s most influential witch doctor has claimed he is responsible for the knee injury which is threatening to Cristiano Ronaldo’s participation at the World Cup.
Nana Kwaku Bonsam – whose name translates literally as ‘Devil of Wednesday’ – predicted in February that the Real Madrid forward would be forced to miss this summer’s tournament in Brazil with injury. …
With Ghana set to meet Portugal in their final match of Group G in Brasilia on 26 June, Bonsam claims to have conjured a special powder from his gods, mixed with several leaves and concoctions which have been placed around an image and caricature of the former Manchester United player.
“I know what Cristiano Ronaldo’s injury is about, I’m working on him,” Bonsam, who serves at the ‘Kofioo Kofi’ shrine, said in an interview with Kumasi-based Angel FM.
“I am very serious about it. Last week, I went around looking for four dogs and I got them to be used in manufacturing a special spirit called ‘Kahwiri Kapam’ ”.
“I said it four months ago that I will work on Cristiano Ronaldo seriously and rule him out of the World Cup or at least prevent him from playing against Ghana and the best thing I can do is to keep him out though injury.
So many questions, particularly about how the four dogs were used. Hopefully as spirit animals and not by killing them. But Bonsam added that “this injury can never be cured by any medic, they can never see what is causing the injury because it is spiritual. Today, it is his knee, tomorrow it is thigh, next day it is something else.”
So expect more Ronaldo injury news tomorrow, I guess? He’s been pretty good on his predictions so far.