In this edition of My Muti Story, Moroka Swallows legend Andries "Chaka Chaka" Mpondo attributes the team's decline to a lack of muti in the change room.
Mpondo recounts an incident where two of the club's goalkeepers nearly suffered serious burns when a primus stove used by a muti man tipped over while they were steaming.
"During my time at Swallows, we always had this muti man who would steam us like nobody's business. We had a Brazilian coach, though I've forgotten his name, who would complain every day about this muti man costing us games and making the players lose weight. This argument would happen every Friday, the day before a match," Mpondo tells KickOff.
"One day, he exclaimed, 'Look at Andries; he's steaming every day, and it's making him lose weight! This muti thing has to stop now!' On that day, the primus stove used for boiling water tipped over, and goalkeepers Dumisani Mhlongo and Larry Park got burned. Thankfully, the burns were not serious."
Why were you doing it?
"According to the muti man, we were removing bad luck so we wouldn't feel down on match day."
Who was the muti man?
"We referred to him as Bra Biza. He was both a fan and a muti man for Swallows."
What did you have to do?
"Nothing major. He would simply smear some muti onto the players' bodies, and then we would head to the pitch. After leaving the dressing room for the field, we were never allowed to look back, as it was believed that doing so would bring bad luck. Fortunately, in those days, teams did not warm up before the match."
Did everyone take part?
"Yes, If the club says to you apply this on your skin, you would do it, or else the chairman would instruct the coaches not to play you."
What stood out?
"I can speak to the idea of protection. As for winning, we lost just as much as we won. Muti was an everyday routine.
"What has happened to Swallows recently, I believe they may have abandoned the club's muti culture. Additionally, today's muti men often appears to be scammers. They want recognition and to be seen on television, spreading something on the pitch during a team walkabout.
"This visibility can sabotage their efforts because rival muti men easily identify them on TV and take measures to counter them.
"Most PSL clubs do have muti men, but you won't often see them conducting their business in broad daylight."