Just as 2010’s Peter the octopus enchanted the world with his near-perfect football prophesies, this World Cup has all eyes on the dunes of Dubai’s desert, where a camel called Shaheen predicts the results of each match.
Shaheen, who was discovered by a Gulf News videographer in the depths of the Emirati desert, has already hit the world with his first three guesses, in which he predicted the victories of Brazil, Netherlands and Italy.
Every day, the camel adventures a forecast on YouTube by eating mushed dried dates placed behind two opposite signs with the national flags of the rivaling teams.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qtP8_GOPoaA]According to a report by The National, the animal’s foretelling instincts may be triggered by the influence of his owner Matar Al Jabri, a football fanatic obsessed with the Al Wasl football team, based in Dubai.
Shaheen will face competition to succeed Paul the Octopus, who became an international sensation after predicting the outcome of seven games and the final. Contenders include China’s cutest team of baby panda and Nelly, a German elephant who literally scores goals to envisage the result.
Watch Shaheen’s daily predictions here.
