Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, despite the cancellation of Argentina’s November friendly, is undergoing accelerated renovation. Kerala sports minister V. Abdurahiman insists that the upgrade will be completed on schedule.

Work to be completed on time

On Monday, sports minister V. Abdurahiman announced that the renovation of Kaloor Stadium will be carried out according to the planned timetable. The sponsors, who have undertaken work worth 70 crore rupees, have pledged to finish the project by November 30 and then apply again for FIFA certification.

For fans across the region, a possible return of Argentina to Kochi’s match calendar would mean the comeback of major football events at the stadium after its modernization. Supporters are already debating the form of the stars and betting odds, followed by fans all over the world, including in Mongolia.

The upgrade was launched at high speed after the stadium was put forward as the venue for Argentina’s friendly on November 17, but the ground did not make it onto the list of FIFA-approved stadiums, which led to the game’s cancellation. Despite the controversy surrounding the project, the minister underlined the authorities’ determination, stating: We will finish the stadium work, no matter what.

New chance for Argentina

Abdurahiman revealed that the idea of Argentina’s visit is still on the table. Two days ago, we received an official mail from the Argentina team expressing willingness to come in March (2026) and to make an announcement about it in the coming days, he said.

The minister stressed that once renovation is complete, the authorities expect to secure the necessary FIFA approval to host international fixtures. This would allow not only a potential match featuring Messi, but also bring Kochi back into the schedule of major football events.

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What is changing at stadium

The renovation of Jawaharlal Nehru International Stadium covers a wide range of technical and infrastructure works. In the event of a power outage, it previously took an hour for the floodlights on the pitch to return to full strength, so the decision was made to replace the entire cabling system.

Fire safety systems have been installed – alarms and extinguishers are now operational, and 28 previously closed emergency exits have been opened. Toilets have been refurbished and around 65,000 rupees (about 1,000 USD) have already been spent on improving the pitch; the work is being carried out by a Delhi-based company that also handled the Asia Cup.

Around 35,000 seats in the stands have been replaced, new perimeter walls are being built, and the damaged parking area is now being resurfaced. According to the minister, people are at work every minute to meet the declared completion date. Safety measures at the stadium have been inspected by the PWD and its design wing, the sports engineering department and experts from IIT Palakkad.

Legal controversy in the background

In parallel with the construction, a case is being heard before the Kerala High Court. Lawyer S. Vinayaka Sachin has filed a petition alleging that renovation work worth around 70 million rupees (about 850,000 USD) was entrusted to a private entity without a tender, a formal contract or the required environmental clearances.

He also pointed out that, despite the official postponement of Argentina’s match, large-scale construction work and tree felling are still taking place on the GCDA-owned stadium site. The court, with judges Nitin Jamdar and V. M. Syam Kumar presiding, has adjourned consideration of the petition, giving the applicant time to amend it.

© Groundhopping Merseburg