ZIMBABWE is fast becoming or is now a football betting country with almost half, if not three-quarters, of the nation now relying on football betting for survival.
BY KENNETH NYANGANI/ STEPHEN CHADENGA
There are a few who can claim that they have not tried their hand at football betting as each and every day betting houses in all the four parts of the country are full of people from all walks of life trying their luck on football matches.
Some clad in designer suits — others in different team football jerseys — and others in casual wear — are seen in betting houses for almost the entire day as they seek to eke out a living from unguaranteed money.
While in the past horse racing was the in-thing, football has taken over, not because it is easily predictable, but due to its large following, as football is something that Zimbabweans can easily identify themselves with.
Some even claim they are paying school fees for their children as even married couples are now being seen at a corner in betting houses trying to figure out which teams to place their bets on matches scattered around the world.
They are not short of matches to bet on as games are played 24 hours across the world due to the different time zones in the different continents with early morning games in America and Australia, followed by Asia, and then Africa, with Europe hosting the evening matches.
Although some can testify that they have made lots of money from football, the 2018 World Cup has been different as punters have received a heavy beating through the indifferent results which have been coming from the field of play.
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No World Cup has had as many surprises as the 2018 edition and that dates back to the qualifiers which saw giants like Italy and the Netherlands falling by the wayside and failing to make the trip to Russia.
At the start of the finals in Russia, most punters thought they would make quick loads of money by placing their bets on the so-called favourites against the small teams, but events on the ground have proved them all wrong.
A lot of punters have been honest enough to speak on how much they have lost out by banking on the likes of Brazil, Germany and Argentina against what they perceived to be “small boys” of world football.
One punter in particular came out in the open that he lost $500 after placing his money for a straight win on Germany against Mexico, which the World Cup holders lost 1-0 to the Central Americans.
He is not alone as many are crying over lost funds in the games that followed. Who could imagine after their sterling performance in the run-up to the finals in Russia that Brazil could stutter to a one-all draw against, of all teams, Switzerland?
Even Argentina with Barcelona’s talismanic Lionel Messi are not guaranteed of continued participation as they could go home early after picking up only one point from their two games through a 1-1 draw with Iceland and a 3-0 hiding against Croatia.
As the results keep on going the other way, gradually, the betting houses are attracting fewer and fewer people as many are slowly running out of cash due to the results which are not going in their favour.
Although there are some who have got it right here and there, these are few.
The events at the 2018 World Cup are a clear testimony that football has evolved and that there are no small teams anymore in world football as results such as Colombia 1 Japan 2, Argentina 0 Croatia 3, Germany 0 Mexico 1, Senegal 2 Poland 1, and Iran 1 Morocco 0, all prove.
Even the likes of Iran, Iceland and Japan are giving the so-called big guns a run for their money, except for African teams, who seem to be going backwards when others are moving forward.
Egypt and Morocco are coming back home long before the real competition has started after losing both their first two games, and Africa’s best hope is now on the shoulders of Senegal’s Teranga Lions, who face Japan this afternoon.
The 2002 World Cup quarter-finalists gave Africa some hope after their stunning 2-1 win over Poland and have won some backers in betting houses not only in Zimbabwe, but across the globe.
Some of those who were banking on Brazil, Germany, Spain and Argentina on winning the World Cup now have different thoughts with some having Mexico, England and Croatia as probable 2018 world champions.
So far, Cristiano Ronaldo has sparkled, but Lionel Messi is on the brink of elimination.
That is football, nothing is guaranteed.
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