Wilfred Ndidi for leicester city (photo credit: Imago)
Super Eagles midfielder Wilfred Ndidi has shared a video addressing the “juju cream” claims made by his former Leicester City teammate, Jamie Vardy, Soccernet.ng reports.
Last week, Vardy revealed on a podcast that Nigerian stars Kelechi Iheanacho and Ndidi used a mysterious “juju cream” to recover from injuries.
”They used to get injured, just little knocks, then they'd go back to Nigeria for one day literally, come back, and then they've got a nice big tub of juju cream,” Vardy said.
”That was the only thing that the masseuses were allowed to massage on the injured areas. They used to tell us that they used to get it from a Nigerian witch doctor.”
Kelechi Iheanacho 14 and Wilfred Ndidi at Leicester City. Copyright: ImagoxDavidxHornx
The comments sparked widespread amusement and curiosity regarding traditional African magic.
However, Ndidi quickly clarified on social media that the substance was simply shea butter. On Monday, he posted a video on his page showing what the natural cream looks like.
Watch: Wilfred Ndidi's Reveals Popular ‘juju cream'
Ndidi explained that he and Iheanacho used to playfully tease Vardy and their other teammates just for fun. They would even offer the “juju cream” to Vardy, promising it would help him score more goals, though he always politely declined.
Shea butter is a natural fat extracted from the nuts of the shea tree, which is native to West Africa. It is widely used as a body moisturizer, a massage balm for soothing muscle aches, a treatment for fading scars, and even as cooking oil.
Having grown up in Nigeria, it is no surprise that Ndidi and Iheanacho preferred natural shea butter over commercial alternatives while playing abroad.
Wilfred Ndidi with Jamie Vardy at Leicester City. (Photo credit: Imago)
Ndidi and Vardy have since parted ways with Leicester City. Ndidi moved to Beşiktaş last summer, while Vardy joined Cremonese, bringing an end to his legendary 13-year stay at the King Power Stadium.
Kelvin Omachonu is a professional football columnist and sports writer with over half a decade of experience covering major events and delivering captivating, analytically-driven stories.
A graduate of the University of Ibadan, he is fueled by a profound dedication to sports journalism and the beautiful game. His insights have previously been featured in respected outlets, including IndyPress UI, UCJ UI Newshive NG, Sportpremi, and a few others.
Away from work, Kelvin is an avid fan of basketball, enjoys a great movie, and is always discovering new music.
