Around 100 people attended the ceremony at the 42,000-seat Zimpeto National Stadium outside Maputo, the largest sports centre built since the country’s independence from Portugal in 1975.
The construction of the stadium was “one of the biggest projects supported by the Chinese government in an African country under the Sino-African Cooperation Forum,” said Chinese ambassador Huang Songfu at the event.
“There was no lack of difficulties and constraints,” acknowledged Songfu, referring to a workers’ strike and two postponed handover ceremonies last year.
Started in November 2008, the facility was due for completion in time to host warm-up matches ahead of the 2010 World Cup in neighbouring South Africa. It was completed in October last year.
Around 2,000 workers, including 600 Chinese, built the stadium and a giant statue of a figure with multiple arms raised to the sky greets visitors after they pass a Chinese-style entrance. Parking space and other entry points still need to be constructed.
“It will enable us to host international tournaments in the region such as the 2011 African Games,” said deputy sports minister Carlos Sousa. Maputo will host the games September 3-18 this year.
International football body Fifa has already approved the facilities in principle, according to Sousa.
Source: rnw.nl