DUBAI: It was the most likely of outcomes, but for Lebanese astrologer Layla Abdullatif it was no surprise at all that Morocco made it to the World Cup semifinals by defeating the more favored Portugal 1-0 on Saturday.
It was such a shocking result that football great Cristiano Ronaldo, devastated and in disbelief, was in tears when he stormed out of Al-Thumama Stadium after the game.
Even Morocco’s goalie Yassine Bounou, living up to the team’s nickname of the Atlas Lions with his fierce performance, thought it was an illusion. “Pinch me, I’m dreaming,” he said.
Now the North African side could dare think the impossible, as coach Walid Regragui intimated: “Why shouldn’t we dream of winning the World Cup?”
But Abdullatif had thought it all possible. Famous for her close-to-perfect forecasts, she had on Wednesday posted on her Instagram and YouTube channel a video in which she said: “There is an Arab team that will qualify (for) the semifinals of the World Cup 2022.”
Her posts have since gone viral online with hundreds hoping that it would all come true. And it certainly did, much to the joy of fans in Morocco, the African continent and across the Arab world.
Abdullatif, however, insists that she cannot read the future and relies on intuition. She had also predicted that Saudi Arabia would surprise Argentina before the World Cup kickoff. The Green Falcons beat Lionel Messi’s side 2-1 in the group stages.
One of her most famous predictions was the assassination of Lebanon’s Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri.
Shortly after the game, Abdullatif told Arab News, via her agent Ziyad Al-Shami, that she “had a feeling” that Morocco was the Arab team that would qualify.
When asked about Morocco’s chances to make the World Cup final, she preferred not to make a prediction, and would only “wish them the best of luck.”
Shortly after Saturday’s game, Abdullatif took to her Instagram and said it was a historic win and “a 1,000 congratulations for the Atlas Lions.”
Amongst her 58,000 followers, many commended the accuracy of her forecasts and wanted her to make one for the upcoming semifinals.
