Uttam's take: Paul vs Mani

So, who will win the football World Cup final?

Spain or the Netherlands?

Sure, not many are ready to hazard a guess?

But an octopus and parakeet already have the winner.

Yes, you heard it right!

Paul, the octopus, has picked Spain, while Mani, the parakeet, feels the Dutch will prevail in Sunday's final.

He may not have as many predictions under his belt as Paul, the British-born aquarium dweller at Sea Life in Oberhausen, western Germany, but Mani, from Singapore's 'Little India', is a  local celebrity after having predicted correctly winners for the quarter-finals and the semi-finals.

As Vicente Del Bosque's high-flying La Furia Roja prepares to take on Bert Van Marwijk's industrious and effective Oranje at Soccer City Stadium in Johannesburg, fans can only keep their fingers crossed.

Will it be Paul's pic or Mani's?

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh