World’s soccer governing body, FIFA, has certified the Arena da Baixada in Curtiba as the venue for Nigeria’s opening match with Iran in this summer’s World Cup Finals.
The stadium has been facing a race against time for completion, after running into a series of delays due to various construction hiccups during its renovation, including a lengthy enforced stoppage after an investigation in October, 2013, into serious safety breaches.
In spite of the delays, FIFA have decided not to seek an alternative venue after carrying out detailed inspection of the site. It was decided that the Curitiba team has done enough to warrant a nod from the soccer body.
“It’s a race against a very tight deadline. Collective effort by all the stakeholders involved in Curitiba must continue at highest pace,” tweeted FIFA general-secretary, Jerome Valcke, announcing the decision.
He added that the continuation with the project was “based on the financial guarantees, the commitment by all stakeholders and progress made.”
