OFF THE POST: Purifying the playing field

Ecuador will be unbeatable wherever it plays at the World Cup if a shaman has his way.

Tzamarenda Naychapi – a 36-year-old Ecuadoran priest who practices magic for healing, divination and controling events – is visiting all 12 World Cup venues in Germany before the tournament starts.

''I come to Leipzig to purify this important place for the World Cup and to bring positive energy,'' he said after letting out a loud scream to chase away evil spirits at Leipzig's Zentralstadium.

Ecuador will play its first-round games in Gelsenkirchen, Hamburg and Berlin. There is no way it will ever appear at the Zentralstadium.