Bombonera pitch ready for football World Cup qualifier: Officials

Buenos Aires, Sep 27 (IANS) The Bombonera stadium will be in prime condition to host Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Peru next week despite concerns about the state of the pitch, according to local officials.

Buenos Aires was hit by a heavy downpour on Wednesday and the inclement weather is expected to continue into next week, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Bombonera, located in the south of Argentina's capital, will stage the Superliga clash between Boca Juniors and Chacarita on Sunday, giving groundsmen just four days to prepare for the crucial qualifier.

"It will be OK," Boca Juniors manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto told reporters.

"There will be some maintenance work done after Sunday to get it ready for Argentina's match," he added.

Earlier this month, the Peruvian football federation requested the October 5 qualifier be shifted from the iconic venue due to safety concerns for their fans.

A match between local rivals Boca Juniors and River Plate in 2015 was suspended when River players were sprayed by rival supporters with an irritant similar to tear gas.

Peru and Argentina are currently tied on points in the South American group and need to win their remaining two qualifiers to secure an automatic berth at next year's World Cup in Russia.

(This story has not been edited by Social News XYZ staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)