[PHOTO/cdni.rbth.com]
Although nobody gave Zanzibar's Heroes a chance to survive in the Cecafa 2017 tournament in Kenya, people are now looking at it from a disapproved angle.
The Zanzibaris have surprised lovers of the game with their dazzling performance in the tournament.
They beat Tanzania and Rwanda in their first two matches before pulling another surprise by securing a barren draw against hosts Kenya.
However, all this could not have come from mere player prowess.
The islanders have been accused of using juju to confuse their opponents during play.
A study by critics has showed that in all the matches they won, the Zanzibaris first rolled the first ball from the centre, and that all their second touch of the ball were kicked outside the field of play.
Also, out of the five goals they’ve scored in the tournament, it is only one that came in the first half with all the rest coming in the final lap.
“Have you noticed that Zanzibari players deliberately kicked the ball out of play into the opponent’s half immediately after they started (against) Kenya? This is the second time they are doing this. Watu watehema leo. Usicheze na uchawi wa Pemba,” says Mombasa resident Mohammed Kasim as quoted by the Standard.
“Waganga wa Zanzibar wameninyima thao tisa,” lamented another fan James Kariuki.
But the Zanzibaris have said that their secret to success is how they perceive the tournament, with all players considering it the furthest they can go to showcase their talent.
“Zanzibar ni nchi ndogo sana, sisi ni maskini. Cecafa kwetu ni kama World Cup. That’s why we have to give it everything,” explained Issa.