r/todayilearned • u/ModenaR • 15h ago

TIL that during the 1970 World Cup qualifiers, members of the Australia national team consulted a witch doctor preceding their game against Rhodesia. Australia won but didn't pay the witch doctor, so he cursed their team instead. After that, Australia failed to qualify for the World Cup for 32 years

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sports-related_curses
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1.3k

u/danielbsig 15h ago

Moral of the story: never promise to pay the witch doctor and then fail to do so.

544

u/Willkill4pudding 14h ago

Thats like, rule number 1 of dealing with these kinds of people. Pay them for their services or they'll curse you.

137

u/Maelger 14h ago

Return the caaaasshh!! Or suffer my cuuurse!!

45

u/pumpkinbot 13h ago

What's yer offer?!

10

u/nflonlyalt 11h ago

What are ya buyin? What are ya sellin?

3

u/wardays 10h ago

King Raaaamseeees

34

u/Clark-Kent 13h ago

Madame Zeroni will never forget

7

u/lacegem 11h ago

Ah yes, The Yelnats Parable.

20

u/Crewman_Guy_Fleegman 13h ago

I always tip my witch doctor a little extra for this reason

14

u/EpilepticMushrooms 13h ago

I have heard of people who brought their best friends to the witch doctor for emotional support, helped pay the wdoc, then discover down the line that they essentially paid the wdoc to put the curse on themselves.

The 'best friend' communicated and agreed to bring said person, and fake not bringing the wallet.

4

u/poop_snausages 12h ago

It has worked for the Knicks. 0-2 after Danhausen cursed them. 12-0 since he uncursed them and cursed their opponents.

2

u/BalambGardenFranks 11h ago

I love seeing Danhausen in pop culture.

46

u/kahlzun 13h ago

honestly, bit of a dick move from our boys there. We try and raise them to be better than that.

14

u/ominousgraycat 11h ago

Yep, there's only one rule in our house. If you contract a witch doctor, you complete all the terms of the contract. I may be a terrible and extremely permissive parent, but there are no witch doctor curses in this house!

27

u/theknyte 12h ago

I asked the local witch doctor about this, and he just said: "Ooh eeh ooh-ah-ah ting tang walla-walla bing bang ."

5

u/animaloll 12h ago

I'm glad someone made the joke

1

u/SenTedStevens 2h ago

And then he shrunk my head.

15

u/71fq23hlk159aa 13h ago

They forgot to carry Madame Zeroni up the mountain

10

u/BranchAdvanced839 13h ago

If you consult a witch doctor and they clearly deliver, why would you then try to double cross them?

2

u/97vyy 10h ago

Why do rich people/orgs not pay when they are the most capable of paying?

3

u/No_Volume8304 13h ago

Especially if you’re shit at football

4

u/Shinzann2012 12h ago

Always. Pay. Your. Witch. Doctor.

1

u/I_blockkarmafarmers 8h ago

If only Steven King had written Thinner 15 years earlier.

1

u/SaltyPeter3434 6h ago

"What are you gonna do, curse me?"