World Cup 2010: Witch doctor exorcises Harry Kewell's 'curse'

If Australia perform well at the World Cup, they may want to thank a witch doctor and their prime minister, Kevin Rudd, for combining to exorcise the 'curse' affecting Harry Kewell. Rudd passed on a goodwill greeting to Kewell at the insistence of the South African healer Bishop Isaac Nonyane, who has claimed the PM's best wishes would exorcise the "malicious spirits" plaguing the 31-year-old. An injury to Kewell's groin has dominated Australia's build-up to the World Cup, with Pim Verbeek, the coach, desperate to have the forward fit for Sunday's opening match against Germany. "No one has bewitched him," said Nonyane – who has claimed to be communicating with his dead grandmother – as he held a Bible and a picture of Kewell. "But it is because of malicious spirits, and the main intention of those malicious spirits is to hurt him. "A get-well message from the prime minister will do. Let the guy [Kewell] know that the whole Australian community rallies behind him to get well, and that they do believe in him, to get well." "I think Harry's fantastic," said Rudd, "and I wish him the absolute best."