ABSTRACT
Diverse religious symbolisms are usually displayed during football competitions. This chapter explores the use of Christianity and African indigenous religion (particularly magic as an aspect of African indigenous religion) in Zambian football to capture the religiosity associated with the game from colonial to modern times. It argues that while Christian symbolisms have been part of Zambian football for a long time, they became more visible following the Gabon air crash in 1993. However, the increase in the display of Christian symbolisms does not in any way mean that Zambians have abandoned their African Indigenous Religion through the use of “magic” in the game. It simply means that magic is being used more secretly than it was used in the past and in a syncretic manner. The popularity of Christian symbolisms in football is simply a sign of the changing Zambian religious setting following the 1990s that was characterized by the popularization of Pentecostal Christianity and the “Christian nation” rhetoric that resulted in public condemnation of African indigenous religion.
