'Juju Claim Painted Us Black'

John Paintsil

Ghana's right back John Paintsil says Black Stars' Nations Cup Juju (Black magic) allegation has painted the team black.

Former Black Stars Serbian trainer Goran Stevanovic in his Nations Cup report captured Juju as one of the reasons that caused the team's failure. And that, according to the Leicester City defender, has dragged the entire team's name in the mud.

'The Juju allegation has really disgraced and painted us black. It was all over the foreign media,' he disclosed on Happy FM yesterday.

Paintsil added: 'I can vouch for my colleagues that nothing of that sort happened in camp, we don't practice juju. If juju really works, we would have been supermen because it is believed that juju exists in Africa.

'We don't fight in camp as it is perceived by many. We got to the semi final because that was where God wanted us to get to.

'We were more than disappointed. We have learnt our lessons well, and will finish the unfinished business in future competitions,' said the former Fulham defender.

Paintsil joined the championship last season but had been inconsistent, making him contemplate exiting the lower league.

The Black Stars finished fourth in the last Nations Cup co-hosted by Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.

By Kofi Owusu Aduonum