Harare — THE Premiership chiefs last week agreed that more clubs were seeking the services of witchdoctors to enhance their fortunes.

Ashford Mamelodi, the FIFA development officer opened a can of worms at the PSL analysis seminar when he warned continental football was doomed because of beliefs in witchcraft.

"We have more witchdoctors than doctors in our football. But if their charms worked Kaizer Chiefs and Orlando Pirates would be winning everything," Mamelodi said.

The club executives then started opening up.

"If witchdoctors were that good then Highlanders and Dynamos would be winning everything," Simeon Jamanda, the Motor Action protocol officer said.

You would have expected that Highlanders chairman, Themba Ndlela and Dynamos secretary Stan Kasukuwere who were in attendance would hit back.

But no, it was frank gentleman talk as the club executives mooted plans to turn the domestic league professional.

The art of witchcraft or juju in football is a phenomenon that is difficult to explain but the club chiefs were in agreement that it was common for football teams to turn to witchcraft or juju to gain a competitive edge.

Teams might, for example, summon witch doctors to cast spells on opposing teams.

Because of the secrecy surrounding such practices it is difficult to tell how widespread they are in Africa today.

Mamelodi warned clubs executives were "killing" football by investing in witchdoctors.

"We need to invest in the real doctors otherwise you are all doomed," Mamelodi warned.

Warriors doctor Edward Chagonda urged FIFA to invest more funds in sports medicine under Win-In-Africa-with-Africa.

He said players were being shunted from one club to another without medical check ups because clubs did not invest in team doctors.

Chagonda said a lot of clubs were losing thousands of dollars after buying players, who were "medical write offs".

"We also need to invest in sports medicine doctors," Chagonda said. "Clubs do not have team doctors and players are just being transferred without proper medicals.

"Most players just play few games before they are injured yet the clubs would have paid for these players."

Chagonda said the country has four qualified sports medical doctors.

Most of the clubs have benches, which are manned by medics armed with bottles of water only to attend to injured players.

The premiership has also been dogged by ugly juju scenes. The most high profile incident was when former Highway playmaker, Willard Katsande was sprinkled with bute (snuff) during a league match against Dynamos on June 21.

Monomotapa coach, Rodwell Dhlakama was also soaked with urine during a match against DeMbare on May 31.

There have also been incidents of teams refusing to use the dressing rooms and official entry points preferring to scale the fence.