A Ghanaian witch doctor who previously made headlines by claiming responsibility for an injury suffered by Cristiano Ronaldo has now turned his attention to England captain Harry Kane ahead of a crucial World Cup showdown. Nana Kwaku Bonsam, one of Ghana's most well-known traditional spiritualists, says he is using his powers to try and stop Kane from having an impact when England face Ghana in their Group L clash.

The controversial figure first gained worldwide attention during the 2014 World Cup after claiming he had placed a curse on Ronaldo before Portugal's meeting with Ghana. At the time, the Portuguese superstar was struggling with a knee problem, which Bonsam insisted was the result of spiritual intervention rather than a physical injury.

Now, more than a decade later, the self-proclaimed witch doctor says Bayern Munich striker Kane is in his sights.

Speaking ahead of Tuesday's World Cup encounter, Bonsam claimed: "I am working on Harry Kane. I have shown what I am capable of before, so I know what work I must do to stop him."

He added that while he does not want to cause serious harm to the England skipper, he hopes to limit his influence on the match.

"I am not wishing him serious injury. It will be just enough to stop him against my country. I will do my work so that it can help Ghana."

Kane heads into the fixture in excellent form after scoring twice in England's thrilling 4-2 victory over Croatia in their opening World Cup match. The Three Lions currently sit top of Group L, level on points with Ghana but ahead on goal difference.

Bonsam has long maintained that his alleged influence over Ronaldo's fitness issues in 2014 was real, claiming at the time that doctors would never be able to identify the source of the problem because it was "spiritual" rather than medical. Despite those claims, Ronaldo featured in all three of Portugal's group-stage matches and scored against Ghana during the tournament.

The latest comments have generated plenty of attention ahead of the match, although England boss Thomas Tuchel is likely to be more concerned with the fitness of his squad than any supernatural threats.

There had been minor concerns after Kane was spotted with strapping on his leg following the win over Croatia. However, the England captain has continued to train normally and is expected to be available for the Ghana clash.

Victory for England would put them in a strong position to secure qualification for the knockout stages, while Ghana will be hoping to pull off an upset and boost their own hopes of reaching the Round of 32.

Whether Bonsam's alleged powers have any effect remains to be seen, but his latest comments have certainly added an unusual subplot to one of the most anticipated matches of the group stage.