New Delhi, February 11 The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has rejected Ranchi as the venue for India's inconsequential 2027 Asian Cup qualifier match against Hong Kong on March 31, as the stadium there failed to meet infrastructure benchmarks for hosting international matches.
Kochi in Kerala has emerged as the frontrunner to host the match.
The Indian team is already out of contention for a place in the 2027 Asian Cup main tournament after a string of poor performances last year.
With the aim of taking football to new places and smaller towns, the All India Football Federation (AIFF) had proposed to hold the India vs Hong Kong match at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Ranchi.
"Yes, the AFC has found the Ranchi stadium lacking in the requirements to host the international match. Kochi is one of the venues under consideration," a top AIFF source told
A top official of the Jharkhand Football Association said that the main issue is related to the facilities in the dressing room, including a lack of sufficient washrooms.
"We committed that we would build the required facilities on time, but for the AFC, those (facilities) should already be in place, not to be built and completed in the future," the official said.
An AFC team inspected the stadium, which also hosts athletics events, on February 4.