Senegal: League cracks down on mystical practices

Génération Foot are already preparing to defend their Senegalese championship title in a new season. On Saturday 23 September, the Senegalese professional football league held the draw to set the fixture list for the 2023-2024 season. While players, supporters and pundits were eager to see the big games coming up on Senegalese pitches, attention turned to something new: the fight against mystical practices. It is a first in the history of the Senegalese championship. The Ligue Pro's leaders have finally decided to take the bull by the horns to stamp out a scourge that is holding local football back from moving on to the next level.

Known in the local language as "Khons", these occult practices, which are incompatible with professional life, are a source of violence in stadiums. In the Senegalese Cup semi-final between Jaraaf and Guediawaye FC, the match was halted because of stones thrown after a refereeing decision. Before that, a brawl broke out on the pitch between players because of mystical practices. Images that are deplorable and damaging for Senegalese football.

Tough league measures against mystical practices

Questioned about this stain on the development of local football, the league has never managed to provide a solution. This time, they have decided to lay down the law. The leaders gave the news on the set of 2STV, a Senegalese channel. From now on, a match commissioner will be tasked with detecting mystical practices, drawing up a report and sending it to the disciplinary commission to rule on. The LSFP wants to make a statement with heavy sanctions to push clubs to abandon these practices. Instead of handing out fines, the league could go as far as deducting league points from those found guilty of "witchcraft". The punishment could also extend to forfeiting the match in question. It is a strong decision that will be applied from the start of the new season. Clubs had better toe the line now.