SHOWS: SARANSK, RUSSIA (JUNE 16, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1.

PERU FANS HOLDING INFLATABLE LAMA, POURING BEER ONTO LAMA, CHANTING 2.

PERU FANS WRAPPED IN NATIONAL FLAGS WAVING FLAGS AND CHANTING 3.

PERU FAN KISSING SOUVENIR IN SHAPE OF WORLD CUP TROPHY AND CHEERING FOR PERU 4.

PERU FANS WALKING, CHANTING AND KICKING BALL 5.

PERU FANS, NICOLAS AND REMO, PLAYING SOCCER AT SQUARE 6.

MAN AND WOMAN IN TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN FUR HAT POSING FOR PICTURES 7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PERU FANS, NICOLAS AND REMO, SAYING: NICOLAS, SAYING: "We never doubted it.

As soon as the game with New Zealand ended, we pressed click to buy, bought the tickets and we were ready to go.

We even did not think about it, it's an opportunity in a lifetime for us.

Thirty six years, none of us has seen Peru in the World Cup before.

So yes, here we are." REMO, SAYING: "We are pretty excited.

You can see it on our skin, goosebumps.

I can't believe it.

We are happy." 8.

VARIOUS OF PERU FANS CHANTING AND WAVING 9.

DENMARK AND PERU FANS CHANTING NAMES OF THEIR COUNTRIES AND DANCING TOGETHER 10. (SOUNDBITE) (English) DENMARK FANS, ANDERS AND HANS, SAYING: ANDERS, SAYING: "It's quite amazing how far the Peruvians have travelled to come here and they are so many and we are so few.

And that's amazing, that's amazingly done of them that they've just travelled so far." HANS, SAYING: "We are going to step up for the Danish team today and we've been one to 15 Peruvians but we'll make up to them." ANDERS, SAYING: "Well, yes, hopefully, we'll sing that much louder.

So we'll make up for it." 11.

DENMARK FANS CHANTING, DANCING, MAN DRESSED UP LIKE VIKING JOINING CROWD 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PERU FAN, IRINA, SAYING: "We will certainly support (Captain Paolo) Guerrero and we believe in him.

And we are sure that he won't do anything wrong.

And he will show his great performance at the pitch." 13.

PERU FANS CHEERING 14. (SOUNDBITE) (English) PERU FAN FROM GERMANY, PATRICK, SAYING: "Yes, I support the national team of Peru because I also lived in Peru for a while and obviously because of my wife.

And yes, I wish them good luck and we'll see tomorrow the German game in Moscow." 15.

PERU FANS WALKING 16.

WOMAN DRESSED IN TRADITIONAL RUSSIAN OUTFIT SENDING KISS, PERU FAN POSING FOR PICTURES WITH ANOTHER WOMAN IN TRADITIONAL COSTUME 17.

VARIOUS OF PERU FAN, ANHEL, POSING FOR PICTURES WITH HIS WIFE FROM RUSSIA 18.

GOLDEN DOME 19. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PERU FAN FROM U.S., ANHEL, SAYING: "It's been 36 years of waiting, 36 years of nightmare since we tried to get into the World Cup without any success.

It's a big moment for all Peruvian people and a very happy moment.

I consider myself to be lucky to be able to be here.

Life treated me very well.

And this is a prize to be here with my wife so that we will enjoy this moment together.

And I hope the match will be great and that soccer will win.

I hope the best team will win and I hope it will be Peru." 20.

PERU AND RUSSIA FANS POSING FOR PICTURES WITH THEIR FLAGS 21.

VARIOUS OF FANS WALKING ACROSS CITY STORY: It's a long way from the Andes mountains to the Russian steppes, but that isn't stopping Peruvian soccer fans from watching Peru make their first appearance in the World Cup finals for 36 years.

Most of them had to fly to Europe and then they took a nine-hour train ride from Moscow to Saransk in the Republic of Mordovia, where Peru take on Denmark in Saturday's Group C match.

The city was draped in the red and white colours of both nations' fans on Saturday afternoon.

Peru citizen Irina, who now lives in Germany with her husband, came to Saransk for the honeymoon and was delighted by the return of star player and captain Paolo Guerrero, who has been involved in a doping incident with a particularly Andean twist.

Guerrero was banned after he tested positive for a cocaine byproduct contained in a tea he said he had drunk unwittingly.

In Peru and other Andean nations, coca leaves are often consumed legally with hot water as a kind of tea.

The suspension was temporarily suspended pending appeal, allowing him to play in the tournament.