By Buba Gagigo
Bakary Darboe, the assistant Public Relations Officer of Sankandi Youth’s and Sports, has denied allegations that their village used black magic on Jiffarong Village during a recent football match.
The allegations stem from a report that at least 40 people were hospitalized in Jiffarong after the match, allegedly due to black magic used by Sankandi against Jiffarong players and fans.
According to an eyewitness, players and fans from Jiffarong village fell ill immediately after a football match against Sankandi village, which was played in Dumbuto village. The eyewitness told Kerr Fatou that the illnesses were caused by black magic used by Sankandi against Jiffarong.
However, Sankandi village has denied the allegations, calling them lies.
“All what they said is lies. This game was to be played in Dumbuto village at 4:30pm, but they were at the field in Dumbuto around 9am to 10am. We got to know the information through our relatives who are married in Dumbuto village. We told them that it was too early for us to come, let them (Jiffarong village) do whatever they wanted to do at the field. We left our village to Dumbuto at 2pm and met them (their fans) at the field under a mango tree. When we arrived at the field, only prayed (Sunnah prayers) before entering the field. We have never used black magic on them, and we played the full 90 minutes. None of their players fell down on the field, but instead two of our players couldn’t continue playing and we substituted them. One of them (Dybala) told us if he continued playing he will die,” Bakary Darboe told Kerr Fatou.
Jiffarong’s players collapsed after the game, according to Mr. Darboe. He also denied allegations that the village buried a goat before the game.
“They said we used black magic on them and buried a goat, that’s false. The girl that was talking in audio is lying by saying that she was sent by someone, she is a native of their village and her name is Sarata Njie. In fact, one of our players is from their village, he would have informed them if we had used black magic on them. Also, saying that more than 40 people were hospitalized is false, let them just say they used black magic on us, and it bounced back on them,” he concluded.