AFCON 2025
Canadian rap superstar Drake is once again putting his money where his mouth is. The Toronto-born artist, long known for his eye-watering wagers on high-profile sporting events — from million-dollar World Cup bets to Stanley Cup gambles on the Edmonton Oilers — has reportedly placed a fresh $770,000 (roughly ₦1.08 billion at current black-market rates) on his native Canada via betting platform Stake, backing the Reds to see off South Africa in Sunday’s World Cup Round of 32 clash in Los Angeles.
The bet adds to Drake’s long history of flashy punts through his ambassador deal with Stake, a partnership that has seen him win and lose tens of millions of dollars across football, UFC, F1, boxing, and more. True to the so-called “Drake curse,” his picks haven’t always gone his way — most famously his $1 million Argentina bet at the 2022 World Cup, which was voided after the final went to penalties.
On the pitch, Canada enters the tie as co-hosts looking to make history. Jesse Marsch’s side finished second in Group B after a 1-1 draw with Bosnia and Herzegovina, a thumping 6-0 win over Qatar, and a narrow 2-1 defeat to Switzerland in their final group game — a result that cost them top spot but still saw them through with four points.
South Africa, for their part, have been one of the standout stories of the tournament. Hugo Broos’ Bafana Bafana opened with a 2-0 loss to Mexico before steadying themselves with a 1-1 draw against Czechia and sealing a dramatic 1-0 win over South Korea, courtesy of 22-year-old Thapelo Maseko, to book their spot in the knockout rounds for the first time in the nation’s history.
It’s a historic occasion for both sides, as neither Canada nor South Africa has ever featured in a World Cup knockout match before. Bookmakers have installed Canada as the favourite. The winner will face either the Netherlands or Morocco in the Round of 16 in Houston.
