Narrator Cléber Machado, from Rede Globo, stars in a curious moment in this transmission of the match between Belgium and Canada this Wednesday (23), for the first round of Group F of the 2022 World Cup.

Before the ball rolled, the journalist mimicked a live ‘Zebrinha do Fantástico’ before asking commentators Ricardinho and Diego, formerly of Flamengo, if the North American side could surprise Belgium in the duel.

“Anyone who has watched a little television in their life remembers Léo Batista, one of the all-time greats and the sports lottery at Fantástico”, Cléber begins, mentioning programs from the 80s. “He said: ‘Game 1, Arabia 2 x 1 Argentina, second game, Germany 1 x 2 Japan'”, he added, citing the shock first round result of the World Cup in Qatar.

“There he is [zebra] he said: ‘Look at me there, zebra’. Today [23] there are Belgium and Canada, how come they look like zebras?”, added the narrator trying to make a distinctive character sound. “Zebra” in football occurs when a team that is considered inferior displaces the favourite.

The scene didn’t take long to reverberate on social networks and cheer up fans. “Cléber Machado’s fantastic zebra imitation is priceless”, commented one internet user, on Twitter. “Cléber Machado imitates a zebra and Diego Ribas comments. I love you World Cup”, added another.

“Cléber Machado opens the broadcast by imitating the zebra that passed Fantástico’s goal in the 1980s. The guy is like Ochoa, he only appeared in the Cup”, commented a third user. “Cleber Tadeu Machado imitating a zebra at 3:43pm on Wednesday on open television. Nice, very good”, added another fan.

The narrator, however, is also the target of criticism for classifying the Canadian team as underdogs in case of a win over Belgium. “Someone told Cleber Machado that Belgium has never won anything and defeat cannot be considered a zebra, since Canada led Concacaf”, analyzes one football fan. “Am I the only one who doesn’t think Canada are the zebras they’re painted? Cleber Machado treats them as if they were Gambia against Pelé’s Brazil”, compared the others.

Canada had the chance to open the scoring with a penalty, but Courtois caught Alphonso Davies’ shot. “Take the zebra, take the lion, take the ball”, exclaims the narrator after the save by the Belgian keeper. (Folhapress)

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