If the bird’s many new believers are right, Holland will win the World Cup tomorrow. Mani grabbed a card in his beak and flipped it over to reveal the Dutch flag.
The 13-year-old parakeet has become a local celebrity after its owner, M. Muniyappan, claimed Mani accurately forecast the World Cup’s four quarter-final games and Spain’s semi-final victory over Germany.
“He’s a special bird,” Muniyappan said.
Mani joins Paul the Octopus, who has correctly predicted the winner of every World Cup match played by Germany, as overnight stars as interest in football’s biggest tournament peaks and gamblers look for any edge to pick winners.
Muniyappan, an 80-year-old fortune teller, said Mani has helped him predict the future for five years at a table in front of a restaurant in Little India, but this year’s World Cup is the first time the parakeet has attempted to forecast the outcome of sports competitions.
One of the two animal oracles is going to be wrong, though. Paul has predicted that Spain will beat Holland and win the World Cup.
Paul’s pick was carried live on TV stations around Europe yesterday. The world-famous octopus could be seen sitting on a tank marked with a Spanish flag for only a few minutes before grabbing out a mussel and devouring it, while completely ignoring the Dutch tank – indicating a Spanish victory.
Paul also predicted that Germany will beat Uruguay in today’s match for third and fourth place. He does have a rival, though.
Pauline, a female octopus in Dutch captivity, has predicted victory for the Netherlands. It’s her first attempt at divination. — AP / AFP
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