With the World Cup kicking off in just a couple of days away, everyone is currently attempting to predict who could win the tournament.
It is no easy task. In the last three editions, Spain, Germany, and France all looked like the favourites heading into the event and would then win it in 2010, 2014, and 2018 respectively. On this occasion, there is no nation that is obviously a step ahead of the rest.
As a result, some of the predictions made prior to a ball being kicked could end up looking rather foolish. In saying that, you will probably do well to do worse than Samuel Eto'o.
Samuel Eto'o makes ridiculous World Cup predictions
Eto'o is a World Cup veteran, appearing at four World Cups as a player with Cameroon.
However, his predictions for the 2022 edition will certainly raise a few eyebrows. In short, they are absolutely mental.
Not only has he picked his home nation of Cameroon to lift the trophy, but he has predicted that three African countries will reach the semi-finals. No team from the continent has got beyond the quarter-finals in the 92 year history of the tournament.
Other highlight include Qatar to reach the quarter-finals, knocking England and the Netherlands out along the way.
Thoughts on @SamuelEtoo's World Cup predictions ⤵️✍️#WorldCup #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/rhwWfuBIg2
— Road to 2022 (@roadto2022en) November 15, 2022
Here are some of the highlights:
- Cameroon to win the World Cup, beating Morocco in the final.
- Three African countries (Cameroon, Senegal, and Morocco) to reach the semi-finals.
- Every African country to get out of the group stages, then only getting knocked out by other African nations.
- Qatar to reach the quarter-finals, eliminating Netherlands and England along the way.
- Iran to advance from groups stages ahead of Wales and USA.
Yeah, we wouldn't be betting the house on some of those.
Of course, Samuel Eto'o is an official ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar, which give us some clue as to why he sees the home nation doing so well in the tournament. Tim Cahill falls into a similar category after his recent selections.