An unexpected subplot stole the spotlight ahead of England’s crucial FIFA World Cup 2026 clash against Ghana when Ghanaian witch doctor Nana Kwaku Bonsam claimed he had placed a curse on England captain Harry Kane.
The self-proclaimed spiritualist, popularly known as the ‘Devil of Wednesday’, vowed to use his powers to stop the Bayern Munich striker from damaging Ghana’s hopes in the tournament.
Bonsam’s comments quickly went viral across the football world, reviving memories of his previous claim that he was responsible for Cristiano Ronaldo’s knee injury before the 2014 FIFA World Cup. This time, however, his target was Harry Kane.
The witch doctor insisted that he had no intention of harming the England skipper and only wanted to limit his impact on the match. As it turned out, Kane endured a frustrating evening as England were held to a goalless draw by Ghana. The striker struggled to influence proceedings, managed only a handful of meaningful touches and squandered a golden late opportunity from close range that could have secured England’s progression.
The unusual story triggered a wave of reactions online, with fans joking that the “curse had worked” following Kane’s subdued display. References to Ghanaian juju flooded social media, turning an otherwise routine group-stage encounter into one of the tournament’s most talked-about talking points. Despite the superstition and online banter, Ghana’s disciplined defensive performance was the real reason behind England’s frustration. Kane was tightly marked throughout the contest as Ghana secured a valuable point against one of the tournament favourites.
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Who is Nana Kwaku Bonsam?
A prominent and often controversial figure in Ghana, Bonsam runs three shrines in the capital city of Accra. Branding himself as “The Great Authentic Man”, he claims to have lived in several international cities, including New York, Amsterdam, Berlin and parts of Italy. His official website also highlights profiles written about him by The New York Times.
“Nana Kwaku Bonsam is an African Traditional Priest based in Ghana. In the last 20 years, he has been helping thousands of people around the world to achieve their goals in life and fortify their spiritual selves. His commitment is to prove that, despite the impact of Chrisitanity and colonialism, there is Real Power in Africa,” according to his website.
Bonsam says he helps people pursue their ambitions through the spiritual powers of Kofi oo Kofi. He also describes himself as an herbalist who relies on traditional African knowledge of plants and natural remedies. According to his claims, these remedies can be used to address a variety of physical and mental health conditions, including ailments he believes are not always effectively treated by conventional medicine.
The Ghanaian spiritualist is perhaps best known internationally for his claim that he influenced the injury suffered by Cristiano Ronaldo during Portugal’s 2014 World Cup campaign. “I said it four months ago that I will work on Cristiano Ronaldo seriously and rule him out of the World Cup or at least prevent him from playing against Ghana, and the best thing I can do is to keep him out through injury,” he had said at the time, according to Football360.
After the match, Bonsam took to Facebook and claimed that he would “release” Kane, allowing the striker to find the back of the net in his next game. “I am the most powerful spiritualist in the whole world now I am going to release Harry Kane so that his next match he can score a goal harry I will come and visit you ok we are brothers I love you soo much,” Bonsam added.