Australia may not be one of the favourites for the World Cup but they are certainly a big favourite with local crowds in Kazan where they are basing themselves for the group stage.

The Socceroos are training at the Trudovye Rezervy Stadium in the Volga River port city, the capital of Tatarstan, where Colombia and Japan are also based.

Australia are hoping for a degree of home support in the crowd on match day and that support was evident on Sunday, when dancers performed a traditional Tatarstan welcome at the team hotel.

They also served up ‘chak-chak’ — a fried honey cake with almonds traditional to the region — which was well received by those players game enough to try a taste.

An open training session for fans on Monday drew thousands, which was the moment World Cup fever hits the Socceroos. Australia’s first match is against France on Saturday at the Kazan Arena.