Featured Image Credit: Kyodo/Twitter. Action Plus Sports Images / Alamy.
Topics: Football, Football World Cup, Japan, Germany
Rachel Lang
Topics: Football, Football World Cup, Japan, Germany
One brilliant and apparently psychic otter predicted Japan would defeat Germany in the World Cup, and people are absolutely loving it.
Taiyo, the small-clawed otter from Maxell Aqua Park in Japan, was given three little buckets to choose from and one tiny, adorable football.
The blue bucket bore a label of a Japanese flag, whereas a red one featured the German flag.
In the middle sat a yellow bucket with a label predicting the match would be a draw.
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Taiyo the fortune-telling otter wasted no time in picking up the ball and beelining for the Japan bucket.
And, well, the little guy crushed this prediction.
Despite being the odds-on favourite to win, Germany suffered a stunning loss against Japan in their Group E opener,
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Japan came from behind to beat Germany 2-1, proving that Taiyo really can predict the future... no matter how unlikely it may seem.
Second-half goals from Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano helped Japan secure a big win in the Group E opener.
Doan smashed home from close range in the 75th minute, with Asano producing a moment of magic to put his team in front.
He controlled a long ball then fended off Nico Schlotterbeck before scoring from a tight angle.
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Both Japanese goal-scorers ply their trade in Germany's Bundesliga, with Doan at Freiburg and Asano at Bochum.
Ouch.
Tayio's call flew in the face of Olivia the parrot, a 'fortune telling' bird who also lives in Japan at Nasu Animal Kingdom.
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Social media blew up in the wake of Japan's shock win, hailing Taiyo as the superior oracle.
One social media user said: "Taiyo the otter is a master prognosticator. Olivia the parrot is a loser idiot."
Another added: "Not really following the World Cup but I will be obsessively keeping track of Taiyo the otter's prediction performance versus Olivia the parrot."
A third Twitter account shared a hilarious video of British sports promoter Eddie Hearn boasting about his prowess alongside the caption: "Taiyo the Otter after Japan beat Germany."
So, regardless of if you're into football or not, Taiyo the otter facing off against Olivia the parrot for psychic animal glory is the showdown we always wanted.
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Nay, the one we always needed.
For now, Taiyo reigns supreme. Only time will tell if Olivia the parrot can manage a return serve or will buckle under the pressure.
So, we have no choice now but to wait and see which animal is crowned the best psychic of the World Cup.
So watch this space and, hopefully, this time the loser doesn't get eaten.