Shenzhen Submits Bid to Host Games for 2018 FIFA Qualifiers
Shenzhen submitted its bid to become the host of a home game between China’s national soccer team and with Hong Kong for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifier. China belongs to group C together with the Maldives, Qatar, Bhutan and Hong Kong. Based on a draw, China will host Hong Kong on September 3, Bhutan on November 12, Maldives on March 24, 2016 and Qatar on March 29, 2016.
Shenzhen is among the 11 cities namely Nanjing, Shenyang, Wuhan, Xi’an, Changsha, Dalian, Chengdu, Qingdao, Baotau and Beijing are bidding to host the four home qualifiers for the World Cup. Among the 11 cities Beijing, Changsha, Wuhan and Xi’an have hosted most of the games in recent years and are most favored for hosting rights. Still Shenzhen has a chance to win a bid due to its pleasant climate and updated standards soccer fields.
Furthermore two of its major stadiums the Longgang Universiade Center and Bao’an Stadium can accommodate 40,000 spectators. Also based on other cities Shenzhen is much closer to Maldives in distance and in climate. Plus two thirds of the Chinese national soccer teams comes from Evergrande and R&F clubs of Guangzhou that is found near Shenzhen. Cities winning the hosting bids will be announced in the middle of May.
The 2018 FIFA World Cup is the 21st FIFA World Cup that is scheduled to happen between June 14 and July 18, 2018 in Russia. This will be the first World Cup to be held in the former Soviet Union and the first World Cup since 2006 in Europe. The finals will take place including that of the host nation and 32 national teams if the current format of the finals is maintained.
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