Maputo, Mozambique, 31 March – Mozambique’s new national stadium is expected to be completed in July 2010, under the terms of a contract signe din Maputo Friday by the Mozambican and Chinese governments.

The laying of the first stone for the 40,000-seater stadium, which will be built in Zimpeto, on the outskirts of Maputo, with a cost of US$57 million, is expected to take place in April, according to Mozambican news agency AIM.

During the ceremony to sign the contract, Mozambique’s finance minister, Manuel Chang said he hoped that the stadium would be ready in time to be used in the final stages of preparation for the 2020 World Cup, to be held in South Africa.

In his turn, the Chinese ambassador to Mozambique, Tiang Guang Feng, said that the new sports complex would provide a more comfortable environment for athletes than the current available facilities. (macauhub)