Ball girls only for Soccer World Cup opener

Moscow - A group of 14 Russian girls will act as ball girls in the opening match of the Soccer World Cup on Thursday, the first all-female group to do so.

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According to the Reuters website, the girls, aged 13 to 16, from Agryz, a small town of 19 000 people some 800km east of Moscow, were selected by the Russian national team after making a sponsor's shortlist of "inspiring entrants" to a national junior football tournament.

The girls will have the eyes of the world on them as they return the ball in the Group A match between Russia and Saudi Arabia at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.

The local World Cup organising committee said 776 children would work as ball boys and ball girls at the 64 match tournament.

Kick-off on Thursday is at 17:00 SA time.