By Paul Nyathi|The on going 2018 Zimbabwe elections nomination court has taken the glow from the FIFA World Cup starting in Russia on Thursday evening.

After four years of waiting, the opening game of the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia kicks off a few hours after closure of the nomination courts.

The hosts Russia, take on Asian Saudi Arabia, and both teams will be looking to win this game, knowing that there are tougher opponents in Group A; Egypt and Uruguay.

Only two teams proceed from each group to the round of 16. Up to 32 teams are participating in this year’s World Cup.

Before kick off, the Russians have prepared an elaborate opening ceremony that will feature American star Will Smith, the United Kingdom’s Robbie Williams and Russia’s songbird Aida Garifullina.

“I’m so happy and excited to be going back to Russia for such a unique performance. I’ve done a lot in my career, and opening the FIFA World Cup to 80,000 football fans in the stadium and many millions all over the world is a boyhood dream,” said Williams.

The opening ceremony and match will be held at the Luzhniki Stadium in the capital Moscow. The match is scheduled to kick off at 3PM (GMT) and the opening ceremony will happen 30 minutes before kick-off.