The Peruvian team will visit Paraguay at the start of the 2026 South American qualifiers. The main stage of this match, which will open this new qualification process on our continent, will be the Antonio Aranda Encina Stadium in Ciudad del Este and not the Defensores del Chaco, the main venue where the Albirroja matches will take place. The decision of the Paraguayan Football Federation (APF) to change venues was announced a few months ago.
The coach of the Peruvian national team, Juan Reynoso, commented on this change during a press conference. The national coach He pointed out that on this occasion both countries would be guests and that the ball neither runs nor flows on this field How would you like it?
After a few weeks of appreciating the new scenario, the coach’s words continued to resonate and one of the leaders of the neighboring country who responded to him was the president of the Paraguayan Football Federation (APF), Robert Harrison. The managing director He pointed out that Reynoso’s comments had “absolutely nothing” to do with reality.
“I believe that the Peruvian national coach’s statements do not correspond to reality in any way,” he said during an interview on the “NPY Deportes” program.
Harrison added that the turf has been prepared for more than a month so it will be in optimal condition. In addition, he said that the support they received in this part of the country was pleasant since they had played against Ecuador there before and experienced this.
“The pitch was prepared for almost 45 days. It will be impeccable. And the people in Ciudad del Este are great, we saw that in the game against Ecuador. “So Paraguay will be at home in Ciudad del Este with all their fans and with all the desire to keep the three points,” he said.
What did Juan Reynoso say about the change of location?
At a press conference, “Cabezón” commented on the change of venue, saying that this pitch will host both Peru and Paraguay.
“We have different hypotheses, the answer obviously lies with them. If we go purely sportingly, I think we will both be visitors, and suddenly it will be a field where the ball doesn’t flow or run as we would like (… “That’s the qualification. A War of strategies, of situations,” he explained.