Two-time Indian Super League Champions Chennaiyin FC Friday announced the club would be playing the home match of the two-legged qualifying tie at The Arena by TransStadia in Ahmedabad.

The club said that playing Sri Lankan opponents in Tamil Nadu would not be ‘politically conducive’.

The Chennai club also named a 25-man squad for its 2019 AFC Cup qualifying playoff round against Sri Lanka’s Colombo FC, which includes Dhanpal Ganesh, who missed the team’s entire ISL title defence due to a knee injury.

This is Chennaiyin’s debut AFC Cup campaign following their 2017-18 ISL title success and they are placed in the South Asian Zone of the competition. This qualifying tie against Colombo FC is for a place in the group stage of the 2019 AFC Cup.

Colombo defeated Bhutan’s Transport United 9-2 on aggregate in the preliminary round and would be hosting Chennaiyin in the first leg at the Colombo Race Course Ground in Colombo on March 6 and the home leg would be played on March 13.

Australian Chris Herd, who joined CFC in the January transfer window, would be the club’s Asian player in the qualifier with the Brazilian trio of Mailson Alves, Eli Sabia and Raphael Augusto being the other three foreigners.

Four youth team players have also been included in the squad.

Defender Hendry Antonay (U-18 & B team) and midfielder Zonunmawia (B team), who were also part of the 2018-19 ISL first team squad, are joined by defender Reamsochung Aimol (B team) and forward Bawlte Rohmingthanga (B team).

Following the 1-0 defeat away to FC Goa in the final ISL fixture on Thursday, Chennaiyin FC will continue the AFC Cup preparations in Goa and leave for Sri Lanka on 4 March.

The squad:

Goalkeepers: Karanjit Singh, Sanjiban Ghosh, Nikhil Bernard.

Defenders: Mailson Alves (Brazil), Eli Sabia (Brazil), Zohmingliana Ralte, Jerry Lalrinzuala, Laldinliana Renthlei, Tondonba Singh, Hendry Antonay, Reamsochung Aimol.

Midfielders: Chris Herd (Australia), Anirudh Thapa, Germanpreet Singh, Dhanpal Ganesh, Raphael Augusto (Brazil), Thoi Singh, Francisco Fernandes, Isaac Vanmalsawma, Halicharan Narzary, Zonunmawia.

Forwards: Jeje Lalpekhlua, CK Vineeth, Mohammed Rafi, Bawlte Rohmingthanga.