WATCH | Psychic cat picks winner of World Cup opening match

Cat Achilles attempts to predict the result of the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia in Saint Petersburg — Achilles the cat, one of the State Hermitage Museum mice hunters, lies on a table while attempting to predict the result of the opening match of the 2018 FIFA World Cup between Russia and Saudi Arabia during an event in Saint Petersburg, Russia June 13, 2018. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez

MOSCOW- Host nation Russia has not won a single game these past eight months but things could change according to a psychic cat who has predicted that Russia will win their first game against Saudi Arabia on Thursday night.

Achilles, is a deaf white cat who is the official animal predictor for the tournament and on Wednesday chose a bowl of food bearing the host’s flag rather than that of Saudi Arabia.

Vet Anna Kondratyeva, who manages the animals said that Achilles is one of a team of dozens of cats that guard Saint Petersburg’s Hermitage museum from rodents, and he seems to have changed occupation for the football event.

In previous World Cups they have had a Paul the Octopus who became infamous in 2010 after predicting winners for that year’s World Cup by choosing one out of two boxes containing food, Swiss guinea pig Madame Shiva in 2014 for Brazil and British Piranha Pele.

In the curtain opener Russia will take on Saudi Arabia on Thursday and the home team will need as much moral support they can get.

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