CFA tells Henan to reel in the rituals

The Chinese Football Association has told Super League side Henan Jianye to seek salvation from goals rather than the gods after Taoist priests performed an on-pitch ritual - and the team duly won at home for the first time in over three months.

The CFA is investigating after fans of the club invited 15 Taoist priests onto the pitch to pray for a good result before Sunday's match with Shandong Luneng, which Henan won 2-1.

Shanghai-based portal The Paper carried images of the ritual, showing a desk on the pitch covered with a yellow cloth and burning incense on the eve of the game.