Rwanda president Kagame aims to tackle witchcraft in football

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame has called for urgent action to address issues plaguing Rwandan football, including the presence of witchcraft.

During the televised “Ask the President” session with the Rwanda Broadcasting Agency (RBA) on Tuesday, President Kagame said some individuals, particularly coaches, were involved in unethical practices such as witchcraft.

“Instead of adequate training, you find them engaging in witchcraft or bribery, which is the first thing that needs to be addressed,” he said.

Despite substantial investment in the sports sector, the country’s teams have struggled to achieve success.

Rwanda’s national football team have only qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations once, in 2004, and are currently bottom of their qualifying group having yet to win a match.

Kagame is a well-known football fan, and follows English club Arsenal. Rwanda’s Tourism Authority has had a controversial $42m sponsorship deal with the club since 2018.