Before the opening whistle, a diehard France supporter in Denham Town made one unusual request to the fans gathered outside a business establishment to watch Thursday’s World Cup quarter-final clash against Morocco — sprinkle water around the television set mounted outside.

“Wet up di place. Dem a hold wi dung so wi haffi run di bad spirit and bad energy,” he declared, directing a teenager to splash water around the area where the screen was positioned as part of what he believed was a lucky ritual.

The supporter, who this newspaper calls ‘Frenchie’, appeared to understand that even the strongest teams sometimes need fortune on their side. Like many football fans following the tournament, he had watched as traditional powerhouses stumbled — Germany’s early group-stage exit, Brazil’s narrow escape into the Round of 16 before being eliminated by Norway, and Argentina struggled on two consecutive occasions, barely getting over the line and into the quarterfinals.