I have experienced it - Michael Akuffo admits there is 'juju' in Asante Kotoko, Hearts of Oak games

Former Asante Kotoko midfielder Michael Akuffo has revealed the presence of 'juju' in matches between Hearts of Oak and his former team.

Akuffo's comments come ahead of the highly anticipated Super Clash between these two prestigious clubs at the Baba Yara Stadium on Sunday, part of Matchday 31.

Having played for Kotoko from 2011 to 2017, Akuffo won multiple Ghana Premier League titles, rose to become the club’s captain, and also secured the FA Cup and Super Cup with the Porcupine Warriors.

Akuffo, now 36, participated in numerous Super Clash games, notably scoring the winning goal in their April 2012 encounter against Hearts. Reflecting on his experiences, Akuffo recounted an instance where he was adversely affected by 'juju' right before a game against Hearts.

In an interview with Akoma FM, he shared, “There is juju in Kotoko versus Hearts games. I experienced it firsthand. I recall feeling completely fine before a match, but after the warm-up, I suddenly felt extremely unwell, as if I was carrying the weight of the world on my shoulders.”

Akuffo continued, “I ran to the coach to complain, and he confirmed that this was a common reality in Kotoko vs Hearts games. Despite feeling I couldn't play, the coach insisted I go on. I struggled through the first 20 minutes but eventually overcame it, and we went on to win that game.”

However, Akuffo believes that while 'juju' can impact players, it doesn't necessarily determine the overall outcome of the game. He noted that 'juju' often targets key players to affect their performance.

Currently, both Kotoko and Hearts are out of the Ghana Premier League title race, sitting in 10th and 12th positions, respectively. Sunday’s big game is set to kick off at 15:00 GMT.