Ghana's 12th And 13th Men: The Priest And The Powder Behind The Black Stars

While goalkeeper Benjamin Asare and defenders Marvin Senaya, Jerome Opoku, Gideon Mensah, and Jonas Adjetey have been throwing their bodies on the line to protect Ghana's goal at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, there appears to be two other men carrying out defensive duties for Ghana.

They do not wear the Black Stars jersey, they are not listed on Carlos Queiroz's team sheet, and they will never touch the ball.

Yet to many supporters, they have become Ghana's unofficial 12th and 13th men, a supernatural defence line that has captured the imagination of football fans around the world.

One is a famous spiritualist sitting thousands of miles away in Ghana.

The other is a mysterious supporter in the stands carrying white powder.

Together, they have become some of the tournament's most unlikely talking points.

The first is the man many Ghanaians know well, Nana Kwaku Bonsam, the controversial traditional priest who has never hidden his belief in spiritual influence in football.

Days before Ghana's crucial Group L clash against England, the priest publicly declared that he was "working on" England captain Harry Kane and intended to stop him from shining against the Black Stars.

He insisted that he did not wish injury on the striker but wanted to prevent him from performing against Ghana.

It was a familiar claim from a man who has built a reputation around football predictions and spiritual declarations.

England controlled large spells of the game, and Kane had opportunities to make the difference.

But the Bayern Munich striker endured a frustrating evening, with one late chance flying over the crossbar as Ghana held on for a valuable goalless draw.

For many supporters, particularly on social media, the miss was all the evidence they needed.

Clips of Kane's effort were immediately paired with videos of Nana Kwaku Bonsam's claims, creating a fresh wave of debate about whether the priest had somehow played his part.

But whether that miss reflects the declarations by the priest remains a mystery, and football has always had room for myths.

And myths grow quickly at World Cups.

Subsequently, Nana Kwaku Bonsam released another video saying he had "released" Kane after the game.

The comments were picked up by international media, introducing the Ghanaian priest to football audiences who had never heard his name before.

Yet even as Nana Kwaku Bonsam is playing Ghana's spiritual defence from home, another figure was quietly becoming an internet sensation.

He has no official title. Nobody seems to know his name. Fans simply call him the powder man.

The mysterious supporter first gained attention during Ghana's dramatic victory over Panama.

Television cameras captured him throwing white powder towards the camera shortly before the Black Stars scored a dramatic stoppage-time winner.

Within hours, the video had spread across social media platforms in Ghana, Latin America and Europe.

Since then, the man has become a cult figure among Ghanaian supporters.

He was spotted again during the England match, prompting fresh jokes online that Ghana had brought its own "juju man" to the World Cup.

No one can prove that either man has influenced a single result. Ghana's impressive defensive displays have been built on organisation, discipline, and sacrifice from the players on the pitch.

However, football has long embraced superstition.

Players wear lucky boots, coaches sit in the same seat every match, and supporters refuse to change shirts during winning runs.

The stories of Nana Kwaku Bonsam and the powder man belong in that same space, somewhere between belief, coincidence, and football folklore.

As the Black Stars prepare for their decisive Group L encounter against Croatia on Saturday night, the real battle will once again be fought by Asare, Senaya, Opoku and Adjetey on the pitch.

But if superstition is anything to go by, millions of fans will also be looking beyond the white lines, searching for their unofficial players, the priest and the powder man.

Ghana needs to top Group L to avoid a tougher route in the knockout stage. To do that, the Black Stars must beat Croatia and hope Panama can frustrate England into dropping points.

And on a night when every little advantage could matter, Ghana may need all the help it can get.

The players are ready. The fans are praying. I hope the powder is dry and ready too.