AFCON: Clerics who made controversial prophecies, predictions

PUNCH

As reactions continue to trail the recently concluded 2023 African Cup of Nations, VICTOR AYENI writes about the ‘prophecies’ and predictions of some clerics that attracted knocks and kudos from netizens

There was a high level of anxiety among football lovers in Nigeria as the senior national team, the Super Eagles, squared up against the host of the 2023 African Cup of Nations, Ivory Coast, in the final in Abidjan, last Sunday.

Millions of Nigerians at home and in Abidjan had high hopes that the Eagles would crown their impressive campaign with victory at the Alassane Ouattara Stadium.

But the match ended 2-1 in favour of Ivory Coast and came as a rude shock to Nigerians and other supporters of the Eagles who expected the Nigerian team to lift the trophy as the favourite, based on its impressive performance.

No doubt, the tournament came with different surprises, including a shocking exit of some highly ranked teams.

However, among the other interesting features of the competition were the several prophecies and predictions made by religious leaders on and off social media about the outcome of scheduled matches leading up to the finals.

In Nigeria, prophecies about the outcome of football matches are not new and are studiously followed by many football fans, some of whom use them as their tips for sports betting.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that while some of the prophecies do have true outcomes and tend to authenticate the spiritual calling of the men on the pupil, others fail woefully, resulting in the clerics being viciously trolled online by angry Nigerians.

For years, the late founder of the Synagogue Church of All Nations, Temitope Joshua, was known for giving prophecies about the outcome of football matches, several of which his followers claimed were accurate.

Last Tuesday, an old video of the late cleric predicting the outcome of the 2012 AFCON final match between Zambia and Ivory Coast went viral on TikTok.

The 12-year-old video which was shot live at the SCOAN, located in Ikotun, Lagos, captured the moment the well-known preacher shared what God supposedly told him about the winner and the penalty shootout that would decide the outcome of the 2012 match.

“This victory is for a country you are not expecting. Just to make them smile because of the past record they have – what happened to them in their history. God wants to make them happy because of the victims of what happened to them in the past,” he was quoted by the church’s Emmanuel TV website as saying.

The match ended in favour of Zambia. Although Joshua did not disclose the name of the team that would secure victory, the church said the outcome of the match was “true to the prophetic word” of its founder.

2023 AFCON ‘prophecies,’ predictions

Yul Edochie

A day before the semi-final match between Nigeria and South Africa, actor-turned-pastor of True Salvation Ministry, Yul Edochie, said that Nigeria might be in for a surprise.

Taking to Instagram, Edochie wrote, “Why am I having the feeling that South Africa may surprise us tomorrow? God abeg oo. Super Eagles no gree for anybody oo. Kwechili. Leave no stones unturned. Bring home the trophy.”