Former Hearts of Oak goalkeeper, Nana Banyin Crentsil, has revealed that he battled suicidal thoughts after he was forced to bury a suspected human heart before their game against Asante Kotoko in the President’s Cup in 1990.
In an interview with Dan Kwaku Yeboah, Nana Banyin disclosed that certain management members of Hearts of Oak presented what appeared to be a human heart, instructing him to bury it as part of a juju (superstitious) ritual aimed at ensuring victory over Kotoko.
“They brought a heart drenched in blood to camp. They gave us a pin to recite something and thrust it into the heart. I was the captain by then, so they all participated, and they gave me the heart to bury it at 12:00 am,” Nana Banyin recounted during the interview.
He further stated that since that horrifying incident, he had been plagued by sleepless nights and, at times, contemplated suicide due to the nightmares he experiences.
“Even to this day, I still get nightmares from the juju we performed. When I sleep, it haunts me, and it feels like I’m fighting people in my dreams every time. I left Hearts for Dawu Youngsters and Goldfields, but whenever I recall that incident, I am unable to sleep," he revealed.
Nana Banyin continued, “After that game, I nearly committed suicide. When I reflect on everything I have been through, it wasn’t easy. My name was on everyone's lips wherever I went. I keep telling people that it was a human heart that was on that plate; you can ask some of my players.”
Despite these attempts to use juju or spiritual means to secure victory, Hearts of Oak ended up losing the match to Kotoko with a score of 4-2.
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