Brazil guarantees Manaus World Cup venue

Rio de Janeiro, July 27 (IANS)

A worker walks through a construction area at Manaus World Cup Stadium “Arena Amazonia” during the FIFA World Cup Host City Tour on August 28 , 2012 in Manaus, Brazil. (Photo by Enric Fontcuberta – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

Brazilian officials have guaranteed the Arena da Amazonica World Cup stadium will be ready in time for December’s deadline set by football’s governing body FIFA.

Construction work on the venue in Manaus is currently 68 percent complete, the least advanced of Brazil’s 12 World Cup venues, reports Xinhua.

“Work on the stadium walls and roof is being stepped up,” said Miguel Miguel Capobiango Neto, the city’s liaison officer to FIFA.

“We are also taking care to make sure the rest of the project is within the working schedule so that we are able to have it ready in December.”

Sao Paulo’s Itaquerao stadium, previously the cause of great concern for FIFA, is now the most advanced among World Cup venues that did not feature in June’s Confederations Cup.

Work on the new Corinthians home stadium is currently 82 percent complete, ahead of Arena Dunas in Natal (78 percent), Arena Pantanal (Cuiaba, 74 percent), Beira Rio (Porto Alegre, 74 percent) and Arena da Baixada (Curitiba, 71.43 percent).

Arena Amazonica will host four World Cup matches, all in the tournament’s group stage.