India’s 2027 Asian Cup qualifier at home against Hong Kong next week will go ahead, the national football governing body said, after the players and coach Khalid Jamil were banned from the stadium.
A local press conference on Thursday was canceled because the Kerala Football Association had not paid the mandatory security deposit to the city authorities, who own Kochi’s Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, according to local media.
Several players and the coach were denied entry to the press event, reports said.
The All India Football Federation (AIFF) said that, despite the embarrassment, the match on March 31 “will go ahead as scheduled”.
“We have full confidence that the formalities will be completed by the Football Association of Kerala and the local authorities,” the AIFF said in a statement.
It added that “we are confident that all necessary procedures will be completed within the stipulated time”.
