England midfielder Declan Rice's comments after a goalless draw with Ghana were just a joke. However, the events surrounding the England-Ghana match at the 2026 World Cup have reignited discussions about 'black magic' or the African tradition of 'juju'.
However, the reality is that Ghana's excellent defense played a major role in determining the outcome of the match. After beating Panama 1-0 in the opening match, the Black Stars kept a clean sheet against England. After two matches, Carlos Queiroz's team is yet to concede a goal.
England dominated possession, attack and create chances in the match at Boston Stadium. But Ghana's organised defence repeatedly stalled the Three Lions' attacks. England missed their easiest chance of the game in the tie in the 86th minute. Harry Kane's shot was expertly saved by Ghana goalkeeper Benjamin Asare. Substitute Nico O'Reilly's powerful header then hit the crossbar.
Along with the match result, a different scene from the gallery emerged in the discussion. A video circulating on social media showed some Ghanaian fans sprinkling white powder during the match to pray for their team's success. The incident quickly went viral due to its similarity to the 'juju' culture prevalent in various parts of Africa.
However, Ghana's well-known tantrik shaman Nana Kianku Bonsam had previously caused drama when he claimed to the British newspaper Daily Star that he had placed a 'curse' on England captain Harry Kane, preventing him from scoring in the match.
Coincidentally, Kane did not score throughout the match. Even the English captain could not capitalize on the opportunity that he had in the last minute, when he was completely empty. When his shot went far over the goalpost, the audience in the gallery was surprised. After that, a flood of memes started on social media. Many people jokingly wrote, 'The black magic of the Ghanaian sorcerer really worked!'