Cochin : In a major twist to the tale of ‘Messi and Argentina team to arrive in Kerala’, the Kerala sports ministry has decided to change the venue from Thiruvananthapuram to Cochin.
"We have decided to change the venue from Thiruvananthapuram to Cochin as the greenfield stadium authorities have cited certain technical issues in conducting the football match", said Sports minister V Abdurahiman.
The proposed football friendlies in Kerala featuring Lionel Messi's Argentina national team have now been decided to moved from Thiruvananthapuram to Cochin after technical issues cited by the government.
Various sports association's in Cochin welcomed the move by the sports ministry.
A confirmation in this regard is expected to arrive from Sports Minister V Abdurahiman's office soon. World Cup winners Argentina are expected to play at least two friendlies in Kerala in the FIFA window in November.
Though the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram was initially declared as the venue for the friendlies, it is understood that the facility was not found suitable to host international football due to the presence of cricket wickets.
The Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, which is the home ground of Indian Super League side Kerala Blasters, is the only international-level football ground in Kerala. The venue hosted the FIFA men's Under-17 World Cup in 2017.
