Sierra Leone Striker Blames Injury on ‘Juju’

Sierra Leone striker Mohamed Buya Turay has said the leg injury that forced him to miss the Africa Cup of Nations qualifying defeat by Benin last Sunday was caused by “juju” or black magic.

Buya, who helped his club side, Djurgården, win the Swedish league this month having finished as the division’s top scorer, missed out against Benin after sustaining the injury during his side’s training camp after playing in the draw with Lesotho last week.

“I had no toe injury when I played against Lesotho because no one stepped on me or kicked me,” he told the BBC. “But I started feeling pain on my toe when I returned to the hotel where the team were camped the following day. The pain worsened when we arrived at the training ground, it extended to the whole foot and leg, and I then decided to call some of my family members who took me to a woman native doctor.

“The native doctor told me the cause of the toe injury was because I stepped on a spiritual object in Leone Stars camp, put there for me by a person who wanted me to get elephantiasis thereby destroying my career. She further told me that if I had gone to the hospital for treatment or had used conventional medicine to try and heal the toe that would have ended my career.”

Buya said in a social media post the perpetrator was motivated by jealousy at his Golden Boot victory. “That’s what created the tension, hatred and jealousy,” he wrote on Facebook. “I love my country, but how can y’all conieve [sic] to make my life miserable? Is it a crime for me to put my countries [sic] flag on the map?”

The 24-year-old, who is on loan to Djurgården from the Belgian club Sint-Truidense, said he is considering his international future. “It’s not easy for me. Right now I’m not thinking about whether or not to play for Leone Stars, I’ll think about it later when I put behind my back what has happened with me.”