WORLD CUP QUEST: DAY OF RECKONING

THE STORY SO FAR

I've tried to contact someone from all 32 countries participating at this World Cup. I've got confirmed answers from a lot of people. Of all the embassies that I contacted only three replied so far. Other unnamed embassies don't have working email addresses, a few more have no website and one embassy's phone number got me through to a very confused Thai woman who insisted that she wasn't an embassy. I spoke with her kids eager to practice their English to confirm this. She is not and has never been an embassy of a West African country.

BACK OF THE NET

My Australian and French friends have agreed to share a table for the match on Saturday. Both of them are passionate football fans who do their best to destroy any opponents when we play five-a-side football together every week. They straight-up don't like losing. Something's got to give. Hopefully its not the table that we've booked at The Australian Bar.

The Uruguayan embassy was very sharp off the mark replying in mere minutes and hooking me up with a confirmed Uruguayan national. I knew that they were dark horses for this tournament.

EXTRA TIME

The Swiss have very generously welcomed me into their embassy for their game on Sunday. The game against Brazil will start at 1am. I'm pleasantly surprised to see an event on at midnight at an embassy. Even better is that the event is a joint Swiss-Brazilian affair. Two birds with one stone. All I have to do is stay awake.

THE PLAYERS

I've compiled a list of confirmed, semi-confirmed and half promises.

1 Brazil (Ambassador)
2 Nigeria
3 Russia
4 Japan (The Banker)
5 Mexico
6 Egypt
7 Iran
8 Germany (The board game tycoon)
9 France (The teacher)
10 England (The multitude of friends)
11 South Korea (The salesman)
12 Spain
13 Colombia
14 Argentina
15 Poland
16 Morocco
17 Peru (Facebooker)
18 Saudi Arabia
19 Australia (The Pilot)
20 Senegal
21 Belgium (crash a public event at Beer Republic shared by the embassy)
22 Tunisia
23 Portugal
24 Sweden
25 Switzerland (Midnight Embassy Visit)
26 Serbia (Possible football coach)
27 Denmark (The soldier)
28 Costa Rica
29 Croatia
30 Panama (The singer)
31 Uruguay (promising email from embassy)
32 Iceland (The film producer)

As you can see progress has been made on Uruguay (31) and Iceland (32). https://steemit.com/life/@highselfesteem/i-ve-found-1-and-a-half-icelanders

Next in the firing line is Costa Rica (28). They are a perfect storm of difficulty; the country has a small population, the country is very far away from Thailand, they are likely to be knocked out in the group stages and they are playing this Sunday.

KICK OFF

The first game of the World Cup starts today. All I've got are whispers, rumours and hearsay to go on but I'm going to do my best to unearth a Saudi Arabian before kick off. I'm going to a neighbourhood known locally as Soi Arab (Arab Street). He who dares wins.
Or dies trying.
Or loses and struggles on.

Let's play ball.

Join me in my quest. My quest started here https://steemit.com/sport/@highselfesteem/i-m-going-to-watch-the-world-cup-with-a-fan-from-every-country-in-bangkok-or-sleep-trying and will contine for the duration of the World Cup.