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| Photograph: Sipa Press / Rex Features |
Despite correctly predicting the results of Japan’s first three World Cup group matches in Russia, Rabio the “psychic” octopus was unlikely to have foreseen an event of far greater consequence: its own death.
One Twitter user speculated that Rabio’s “murder” had condemned Japan to their heartbreaking last-gasp defeat against Belgium on Monday, denying them a place in the quarter-finals.
While others thought murder too strong a word for the fisherman’s actions, one agreed that dispatching Rabio was bad karma: “This will be the curse of the Octopus and they won’t win the WC for another century!”
Rabio had proved the perfect pundit after being caught off the coast of Obira in northern Japan shortly before the Samurai Blue pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Colombia.
After being placed in a plastic pool by Kimio Abe, who caught him, Rabio moved stealthily towards one of three boxes representing a win for Japan, a loss, and a draw, and duly predicted the team’s win over Colombia, its draw with Senegal and defeat to Poland.
But as Japan prepared to play Belgium, Abe revealed that the creature had been killed and sold as seafood at the local market soon after it had correctly forecast the result in the Poland match.
“I’m glad that all the forecasts turned out correct and Japan moved on to the knockout stage,” Abe told the Mainichi Shimbun newspaper. “I hope Rabio’s successor will accurately tip the results of all games and Japan will win the World Cup.”
That was not to be. Coach Akira Nishino’s team did, though, win over millions of neutrals watching on TV around the world, as well as praise from fans back home who had watched the match in the middle of the night, prompting shops to sell “football hangover” kits comprising caffeine-laced energy drinks and strong mint gum.
“When we took the lead I thought we were going to win,” said Nao Okada, a university student who burst into tears at a sports bar in Tokyo when the match ended. “It hurts, but it was a really good game … I want Japan to keep playing like that next time,” she told Reuters.
Nishino, whose team are ranked 61st in the world, said he took responsibility for the defeat.
“When the goal was conceded, I blamed myself, and I question my tactics,” he said, according to Kyodo news. “As for the result, I am very disappointed. I am devastated.”
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