Gopal Roy, Kolkata: Soccer crazy people of Kolkata will be delighted to hear that the city is all set to host Brazil again for the semi final #1 of the FIFA U17 World Cup at the Salt Lake Stadium. The first semi final between Brazil and England was slated to take place at the Indira Gandhi Athletic Stadium on October 25. But due to the inclement weather in Guwahati, the match has been shifted to Kolkata.
Confirming the news to xtratime.in , AIFF President Praful Patel said, “Kolkata has a great chance to host the first semi final. But there are certain logistical problems since the online tickets were already sold. There can be no change in dates of the semi finals. Moreover, it is FIFA who will take the final call.”
As per latest reports Kolkata is the front-runner to host Brazil versus England semi final on October 25 at 5pm.
The Local Orgnising Committee had primarily chose Mumbai and Kolkata as optional venues if the match does not take place in Guwahati. According to a member (does not want his name disclosed) of the Local Organising Committee, the provisions for ticketing have been opened for the two centres.
AIFF senior vice president Subrata Dutta has also confirmed that the Salt Lake Stadium will host the first semi final.
The first quarter-final of the FIFA U17 World Cup staged in Guwahati amidst heavy rainfall was a spectacle to forget in the soggy playing conditions. Despite Mali beating Ghana 2-1, the game itself was in doubt as one of the teams objected to playing in such circumstances but after the match officials inspected the field and made sure that the ball passed the minimum rolling criteria according to FIFA Standards and the field markings were properly visible, they decided to go ahead and start the game.
It has been confirmed that both Brazil and England team will arrive in Kolkata at 12 am on October 24.