Staff Reporter
Windhoek-Two soccer gambling addicts and soccer fanatics found themselves on the wrong side of the law when one wagered his wife in a bet over the match between Real Madrid and Juventus. The other man, the winner of the bet, was punished for trying to collect his bet, the other man’s wife.
This is if the news reported by Zimbabwe News and Zimbabwe Mail is to be believed. The tabloids reported that somewhere in Zimbabwe Charles Jambaya, 26-year-old man of Mkandapi village, apparently got carried away on June 3, when Real Madrid met Juventus in the UEFA Champion League final.
At the pub where Jambaya and company were imbibing and watching the game, Jambaya entered into a bet with 30-year old Eugene Gumbo, on who would win the final.
Jambaya was convinced Juventus would win the game. His bet strengthened perhaps by his faith in his team.
Only Jambaya did not bet money, or other worldly possession, as gamblers tend to. He instead wagered his 22-year-old wife, Caroline Shumba, who it should be said was at home attending to her domestic affairs, as women do, when their husbands are away drinking and watching football.
For his part, Gumbo bet US$500 (about N$6,000) in favour of a Madrid win.
But somewhere along the 90-something minutes Madrid shot four palls past Juventus’ goalkeeper. At the end of the game, Real Madrid was the winner, with four goals to one goal of Juventus.
A bet is a bet and Gumbo called in his winnings. Apparently, Jambaya – being a gentleman – conceded, and asked Gumbo to collect. Gumbo went to Jambaya’s house to collect his winnings.
Caroline, after being told that she had to go with Gumbo, because he had won her as a prize in a football bet, ran away and sought refuge at her aunt’s house. The aunt took the matter to the traditional court.
The court fined both men an animal each. In their defence the two men told the court they were not thinking straight at the time they made the bet, as they were both inebriated. They also pleaded for mercy from the court.