DY Patil Stadium in great shape: Mali official

Mumbai, July 9 (IANS) Ahead of Mali's FIFA U-17 World Cup group stage matches at the DY Patil Stadium here from October 6, the country's youth football head Sekou Sylla has heaped praise on the facility on Sunday.

The stadium, which has a capacity of holding 45,300 spectators, will host six group stage matches alongwith one game each of the round of 16 and semi-final stages.

"The stadium is in a great shape even though the tournament start is October. In two months will be better, the grass in the ground is amazing with the dressing room of international standards," Sylla said in a statement.

The Mali U-17 team are drawn to play their group stage matches against Paraguay and Turkey here on Octorber 6 and 9 respectively.

Sylla also said it is a great chance for Indian football to establish themselves globally.

"This is a great opportunity for India to establish itself on the global football map. All India Football Federation (AIFF) along with the government of India is working incredibly towards making the tournament successful," he said.

He also expects a good fan support at the stadium during his county's matches.

"We expect a lot of fan turnout for the games, Mali will play its best football and expect fans to come down in numbers to witness our journey," Sylla said.

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