Chile coach mulls 2,300-metre venue for 2018 qualifiers

Chile's national football team coach Jorge Sampaoli said he was considering including a high-altitude stadium on the list of venues hosting pre-2018 World Cup qualifiers.

The stadium in the northern Chilean town of Calama is situated at 2,300 metres above sea level, reports Xinhua.

"It's an idea; to make it tough in the qualification round," Sampaoli told reporters at a press conference prior to Tuesday's friendly against Bolivia.

"There are teams that don't do well at high altitudes, but it's nothing definite, it's under consideration. It's our responsibility, as coaches, to have a range of options for the good of Chilean football," explained Sampaoli.

Local media speculated the coach had in mind renowned teams, such as Argentina or Brazil, whose performance nevertheless suffers at high altitudes.

Calama, an Andean mountain town of 150,000 inhabitants, is located east of Antofagasta, the capital of the same-named northern province, which is located some 1,100 km north of the capital Santiago.

The mining town is the home of football club Cobreloa, one of the top local teams, and Sampaoli noted its players "are trained to play and will be taken into account in the match against Bolivia."

Asked about the upcoming game, the coach said he expected a different match from Chile's Oct 10 clash with Peru, which they won 3-0.

"Bolivia is coming from having lost (to Brazil 1-3) and is under a new coach (Mauricio Soria), whom the players will want to impress," said Sampaoli.

"It will be interesting from a strategic viewpoint," he said. "The key will be to dominate Bolivia from the start."