Rev. Francis J. Botchway has in this publication brought together in a single volume, an
issue that has engaged public attention and that has been part of our discourse as a
nation for many years. In our recent soccer history, I recall an important coach
resigning from his job because he was tired of going to shrines in search of success.
There is no 'adult Ghanaian interested generally in sports but soccer in particular who
would not find this book fascinating. The reason is simple, either during our school
days or in our adult years we may have heard or participated in discussions concerning
the roles of religion in sports. The general name we gave it as children was "ways and
means". During my own school days, the late national goalkeeper, Salifu Ansah was
my classmate. We had quite a number of outstanding footballers in our class and
several of them went on to play either for Sekondi Eleven Wise or Sekondi Hasaacas. I
recall that in primary and middle school when' we had to play matches, Salifu Ansah
would ask pupil to contribute some amount of money towards the preparations of the
team. At the time, the money was given to a certain Ewe man simply known as "Efo"
to prepare medicines to enable our school team gain advantage over our opponents.
Our team was very strong and we went on to win several trophies. So many names
from the team come to mind as I write: Ansah, Nii Aryee, Gyasi, Djirakor, and many
others. I am myself married to the sister of a sports personality, Enoch Koomson who
captained Hasaacas for many years. I do not know what part the juju played in our
success as a school but it looks to me that everybody believed in it. Much later in life,
one of my childhood friends also played for Sekondi Eleven Wise. His name is David
Bolfrey. At one point in the national league, Bolfrey approached me for help as a young
minister because there was pressure on him from some quarters to visit a shrine for
powers to enhance his goal scoring ability. He was leading the goal-king chart at the
time and people were telling him to seek help others those" against" will work against
his success using juju. Bolfrey and I were members of the Takoradi Methodist Youth
Fellowship at that time, and it was clear that the young player was disturbed by the pressures. I have forgotten how the matter ended but I was a pastor then, and I did
promise to bear him up in prayer.
I am not a soccer player myself but it is a game I have loved since childhood and at
every turn, this matter of juju in soccer in particular comes up whether we are talking
about school sports, as I have noted, or about national sports. These matters have been
ably discussed with important examples in the book we are launching today. I am
currently working on a book project to be titled Religion in Ghana and 'Religion and
Sports' would feature as a full chapter in the publication. Those who have watched
recent competitive soccer games in Africa would observe, as Rev. Botchway rightly
discusses in this book, that this is not a matter only for Ghana. It is a very African
phenomenon.
In the West, sporting stars and soccer players believe in God too and some rely on
supernatural powers and psychologists to help them perform well and win trophies.
We always observe soccer players in other developed countries make the sign of the
cross when they enter the field of play. They are all signs of a larger belief in
'supernatural presence' within human affairs. What Rev. Botchway talks about here in
this book however, is not a pedestrian acknowledgement of supernatural presence in
sports but rather a very strong, endemic and non-negotiable belief that without the help
of a Christian prophet, the Muslim cleric, or the shrine priest, success may come short
when one engages in such sporting disciplines as soccer. It happens also in African
politics. A rather interesting development in recent years that follow this thinking is to
see our soccer players virtually engage in charismatic prayer sessions and singing,
either before a match or after winning a game. In other words, there is no question
about the fact that religion is very important in Ghana sports.
Juju, Magic and Witchcraft is a book of eleven interesting chapters with each discussing
very important issues relating to the title of the book and the focus of the research. Rev.
Botchway very innovatively starts the discussion with reference to his own history as a
soccer player and personal encounters, even involvement with juju as a young man.
Chapter two is very educative in the way it draws attention to the genesis of the
invocation of supernatural powers such as angels and saints to enhance performance in
sports. The involvement of traditional religions and their functionaries as sources of
supernatural succor in sports came later and this is discussed in chapter three. Chapter four is a combination of case studies based on empirical research and analyses that even
draws into the discussions several important names such as the views of the current
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. In the rest of the chapters the views of
stakeholders in Ghana soccer, the particular involvement of Christian and Muslim
functionaries, important case studies in the history of juju and spirituality in Ghana
soccer, and even how God sees sports are all discussed.
The sweetness of the pudding, they say, is in the eating. The fact that the foreword was
written by Honorable Joe Aggrey is an important indication of the importance of this
volume. Admittedly, Africa is a very religious continent with religion playing a central
role in all aspects of our life. This book must be received and read as an important
study of an aspect of discussions on 'religion in public life' using sports as the main
example. Anybody interested in religion in Ghana would therefore find the material
fascinating, informative and educative. This is a book I definitely intend to ask my
graduate students in Religion and Media and Christianity in the Non-Western World to
read. It would help us in understanding the philosophy behind religion in African
politics and various business enterprises in Africa. I commend my colleague Rev.
Botchway for this bold attempt in the study of religion in public life and recommend it
to all who are interested in the subject area to read it for their edification and education.
Rev. Francis J. Botchway has in this publication brought together in a single volume, an
issue that has engaged public attention and that has been part of our discourse as a
nation for many years. In our recent soccer history, I recall an important coach
resigning from his job because he was tired of going to shrines in search of success.
There is no 'adult Ghanaian interested generally in sports but soccer in particular who
would not find this book fascinating. The reason is simple, either during our school
days or in our adult years we may have heard or participated in discussions concerning
the roles of religion in sports. The general name we gave it as children was "ways and
means". During my own school days, the late national goalkeeper, Salifu Ansah was
my classmate. We had quite a number of outstanding footballers in our class and
several of them went on to play either for Sekondi Eleven Wise or Sekondi Hasaacas. I
recall that in primary and middle school when' we had to play matches, Salifu Ansah
would ask pupil to contribute some amount of money towards the preparations of the
team. At the time, the money was given to a certain Ewe man simply known as "Efo"
to prepare medicines to enable our school team gain advantage over our opponents.
Our team was very strong and we went on to win several trophies. So many names
from the team come to mind as I write: Ansah, Nii Aryee, Gyasi, Djirakor, and many
others. I am myself married to the sister of a sports personality, Enoch Koomson who
captained Hasaacas for many years. I do not know what part the juju played in our
success as a school but it looks to me that everybody believed in it. Much later in life,
one of my childhood friends also played for Sekondi Eleven Wise. His name is David
Bolfrey. At one point in the national league, Bolfrey approached me for help as a young
minister because there was pressure on him from some quarters to visit a shrine for
powers to enhance his goal scoring ability. He was leading the goal-king chart at the
time and people were telling him to seek help others those" against" will work against
his success using juju. Bolfrey and I were members of the Takoradi Methodist Youth
Fellowship at that time, and it was clear that the young player was disturbed by the pressures. I have forgotten how the matter ended but I was a pastor then, and I did
promise to bear him up in prayer.
I am not a soccer player myself but it is a game I have loved since childhood and at
every turn, this matter of juju in soccer in particular comes up whether we are talking
about school sports, as I have noted, or about national sports. These matters have been
ably discussed with important examples in the book we are launching today. I am
currently working on a book project to be titled Religion in Ghana and 'Religion and
Sports' would feature as a full chapter in the publication. Those who have watched
recent competitive soccer games in Africa would observe, as Rev. Botchway rightly
discusses in this book, that this is not a matter only for Ghana. It is a very African
phenomenon.
In the West, sporting stars and soccer players believe in God too and some rely on
supernatural powers and psychologists to help them perform well and win trophies.
We always observe soccer players in other developed countries make the sign of the
cross when they enter the field of play. They are all signs of a larger belief in
'supernatural presence' within human affairs. What Rev. Botchway talks about here in
this book however, is not a pedestrian acknowledgement of supernatural presence in
sports but rather a very strong, endemic and non-negotiable belief that without the help
of a Christian prophet, the Muslim cleric, or the shrine priest, success may come short
when one engages in such sporting disciplines as soccer. It happens also in African
politics. A rather interesting development in recent years that follow this thinking is to
see our soccer players virtually engage in charismatic prayer sessions and singing,
either before a match or after winning a game. In other words, there is no question
about the fact that religion is very important in Ghana sports.
Juju, Magic and Witchcraft is a book of eleven interesting chapters with each discussing
very important issues relating to the title of the book and the focus of the research. Rev.
Botchway very innovatively starts the discussion with reference to his own history as a
soccer player and personal encounters, even involvement with juju as a young man.
Chapter two is very educative in the way it draws attention to the genesis of the
invocation of supernatural powers such as angels and saints to enhance performance in
sports. The involvement of traditional religions and their functionaries as sources of
supernatural succor in sports came later and this is discussed in chapter three. Chapter four is a combination of case studies based on empirical research and analyses that even
draws into the discussions several important names such as the views of the current
Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana. In the rest of the chapters the views of
stakeholders in Ghana soccer, the particular involvement of Christian and Muslim
functionaries, important case studies in the history of juju and spirituality in Ghana
soccer, and even how God sees sports are all discussed.
The sweetness of the pudding, they say, is in the eating. The fact that the foreword was
written by Honorable Joe Aggrey is an important indication of the importance of this
volume. Admittedly, Africa is a very religious continent with religion playing a central
role in all aspects of our life. This book must be received and read as an important
study of an aspect of discussions on 'religion in public life' using sports as the main
example. Anybody interested in religion in Ghana would therefore find the material
fascinating, informative and educative. This is a book I definitely intend to ask my
graduate students in Religion and Media and Christianity in the Non-Western World to
read. It would help us in understanding the philosophy behind religion in African
politics and various business enterprises in Africa. I commend my colleague Rev.
Botchway for this bold attempt in the study of religion in public life and recommend it
to all who are interested in the subject area to read it for their edification and education.
 |
| Author of the book Rev. Francis J. Botchway, a Master’s degree holder in Media & Theology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. He is a seasoned Christian Journalist who is currently the Managing Editor of the Christian Messenger (Ghana’s oldest existing newspaper, founded in 1883 and owned by the Presbyterian Church of Ghana), a football enthusiast and sports writer as well. Rev. Botchway, is an ordained Minister of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana and until his current position was the Senior Media Officer of the Bible Society of Ghana. He is an adjunct (part-time) Lecturer of the Maranatha University College Business School, Accra. |
