A Ghanaian witch doctor, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, has asserted that he has lifted a supposed curse he placed on England captain Harry Kane. Bonsam, who identifies himself as 'Africa's only Authentic Man' and claims his powers stem from the Kofi Oo Kofi shrine, had stated prior to England's match against Ghana that he was working to prevent Kane from scoring.
Following England's 0-0 draw with Ghana, during which Kane missed a significant scoring opportunity, Bonsam released a video on Facebook. In the video, he announced, "Now, I am going to release Harry Kane so that, in his next match, he can score. Harry, I will come and visit you. Don’t be offended. We are friends." He was seen performing what appeared to be a spiritual ritual with various objects.
Bonsam has previously claimed responsibility for Cristiano Ronaldo's knee injury before the 2014 World Cup, stating he had worked to stop the Portuguese player from performing against Ghana. Ronaldo did sustain an injury before the tournament but played in the match against Ghana, which Portugal won 2-1. Both teams were eliminated in the group stage.
Before the recent match against Ghana, Bonsam had said, "I am working on Harry Kane. I have shown what I am capable of before, so I know what work I must do to stop him. I am very famous for my predictions. I am not wishing him serious injury. It will be just enough to stop him against my country. I will do my work so that it can help Ghana."
Reports of supernatural influence surrounding Ghana's World Cup campaign also emerged during their match against Panama. A supporter went viral for performing rituals described by viewers as 'black magic' during Ghana's 1-0 victory. Shortly after, Caleb Yirenkyi scored Ghana's winning goal in the 95th minute, leading to speculation about the ritual's efficacy.
In response to the claims of a curse on Kane, renowned psychic Uri Geller had vowed to intervene, stating he would "cancel it" and send positive vibrations to shield Kane from any negative spiritual interference.