A five member delegation from the Brazilian Football Confederation visited the National Stadium in Dhaka on Sunday, opening the possibility of the venue hosting Brazil or other international teams in the future.
The delegation was led by Sergio Dimas de Oliveira, general supervisor of the Brazil men’s national team. The officials spent around 45 minutes at the stadium after arriving in Dhaka from Kolkata.
They inspected the pitch, dressing rooms, galleries and other facilities. They also checked the drainage and watering systems and spoke with the groundsmen.
The main purpose of the visit was to see whether the National Stadium could be used as a neutral venue for international matches in the future.
Bangladesh Football Federation executive committee member Iqbal Hossain said the Brazilian officials showed interest in the venue. However, no final decision has been made.
“What they told us is that they can use our stadium as a neutral venue or can play against Bangladesh in future,” Iqbal said.
“We told them that the preparation of the ground is going on and it may take another two weeks to complete the works,” he added.
Iqbal said the Brazilian officials could return for another inspection if needed.
“They also talked to the groundsmen and told me that they may visit again if needed,” he said.
The visit comes as Brazil prepare to play in South Asia later this year.
Brazil are set to face India in Kolkata on October 3. The CBF delegation had already inspected Salt Lake Stadium in Kolkata before travelling to Dhaka. They spent more than two hours there and checked the facilities ahead of the match.
The Dhaka visit has raised questions over whether Brazil could use the National Stadium for training before the India match.
However, Iqbal said there had been no discussion about such a plan.
The visit also does not mean a Brazil versus Bangladesh friendly has been confirmed. The possibility was mentioned during the discussions, but there is no agreement over a match at this stage.
For now, Brazil’s interest is focused on assessing the National Stadium and its facilities.
