Former Ghanaian footballer Awudu Issaka has revealed that he turned to spiritual means in an attempt to secure regular playing time during his stint with German club 1860 Munich.

Speaking on Accra-based Sporty FM on Monday, July 28, Issaka disclosed that he was often benched while competing for a starting spot with German legend Thomas Häßler.

Frustrated by his limited opportunities, Issaka admitted to using black magic—commonly referred to locally as juju—against his teammate, even going so far as to sacrifice a cow and spend significant amounts of money in the process.

The 1995 FIFA U-17 World Cup winner noted that he contacted a spiritualist whom he paid money to and also killed a cow to get more playing time.

However, the teammate, German legend Habler, offered to aid him in playing for a different team, but he refused, which led to a downturn in his career.

“I did all sorts of things to destroy my teammate, including killing a cow. When I went back to the team, he was more closer to me than before, so I knew it was working."

"Then he approached me and said he knew I wouldn't get playing time because he's a German who plays for the national team, and they wouldn't bench him. So, he was looking for a new club for me to play and get more minutes," he said.

“So, after that, I called the person doing the incantation for me, and he said it was working. He requested more money, and I sent it. I even did another one at a time when cows were costly. Because I didn't listen to him [Habler], I stayed there, and he kept playing, and my career ended,” he said in Twi.

Issaka went ahead to admonish players to work diligently to earn a place in a team rather than resorting to black magic.

“I would advise footballers to abstain from resorting to the use of spiritual spells [juju] to thrive as a player because it won't end well,” he added.

The former Black Stars player currently runs a football academy to groom young talents.