Mexico voodoo dolls kick up a fuss

A Mexican sports daily is seeking help for the national soccer team against the United States using voodoo dolls, despite losing support for the stunt from a US-based electronics chain.

Radio Shack on Wednesday ordered its Mexican division not to distribute some 8,700 voodoo dolls wearing US soccer shirts.

The dolls were promised in a promotion in the sports newspaper Record in exchange for printed cut-out dolls, Katia Santiago, at the Mexican Radio Shack's publicity department, told AFP.

Radio Shack argued "that a US company cannot support a situation that goes against the (national) team," Record said on its web site.

Record, which is supporting Mexico in regional knockout matches ahead of the 2010 South Africa World Cup, said the promotion would still go ahead and that it would shortly inform its readers of new distribution points.

"Imagine that it's a player from the opposite team and put pins where you want to," the newspaper said, calling the dolls a "secret weapon."

Mexico has not beaten the United States since 2000.

Mexico plays the United States on February 11 in Columbus, Ohio, in the CONCACAF qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup.

Record said it plans to expand the promotion to include dolls representing the other CONCACAF finalists: Costa Rica, Honduras, El Salvador and Trinidad and Tobago.

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