Balls

by Feòrag

Peru: Eight traditional magical practitioners from all over South America have performed a ritual to bless the teams taking part in the Copa America.

Dressed in a multicolored poncho, rainbow-striped pants and a felt fedora, lead shaman Juan Osco blew mouthfuls of scented cane liquor and threw flower petals at a soccer ball bearing the teams' crests.

With flowers, good perfumes and good wishes we are asking the protective gods that no misfortune befall any player and that above all there are good matches, intoned Osco, Peru's self-proclaimed Shaman of the Andes....

...Osco and his comrades -- each wearing variations of a similar outfit -- chanted, rattled gourds and waved skulls, dolls and even a shrunken head from an Amazon tribe during the half-hour ceremony in front of Lima's Nacional Stadium.

Shamans put good-luck spell on Copa America - Sports Illustrated, 5th July 2004.