Witchcraft? Coach suspended for ‘sprinkling unknown substance, urinating on goalposts’

General view of the Premier League ball [Courtesy]

In all of the years you have been following the beautiful sport of football, some stories, you might think, could only arise from non-professional or lower-tier leagues…but no. 

The goalkeeping coach of Zambia Super League side Forest Rangers Charles Chilseshe was sanctioned by the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) after accusations of “unsporting conduct”. 

Chileshe, ahead of Saturday’s game at Prison Leopards, reportedly sprinkled “an unknown substance in goal and urinating or simulation of urinating against one of the goalposts”, the association said.

In a letter dated Monday, January 18, addressed to the Forest Rangers General Secretary, FAZ deputy General Secretary Joseph Chimpampwe stated Chileshe acted “in a manner that is not consistent with the values and integrity of football as espoused by FIFA, CAF and FAZ…”

“His actions have without doubt brought the name of the game into disrepute and therefore we have no option but to suspend Mr. Chileshe’s registration for the 2020/2021 season and his case shall be decided by the appropriate FAZ judicial body. This means that Chileshe cannot function as an official for your club in any capacity until his case is disposed of,” read the statement.

Chileshe has now been suspended and awaits a disciplinary hearing.

The club (Forest Rangers) also revealed a statement that they had taken unstipulated disciplinary action against the coach.

If Chilseshe was somehow trying to perform some ritual of “Juju” to make the match difficult for the opponents, or make it easier for his side, he might have failed. Rangers lost 2-0 to Leopards.