All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Tuesday gave a September 10 to October 22 schedule to the Nepal Super League organisers to hold its second edition.

“As per the request of Nepal Sports and Event Management, a September 10 to October 22 date has been allowed to the organisers to hold the Nepal Super League football tournament,” ANFA said in a letter addressed to the event management company.

The country’s football governing body also instructed the organisers to get a pre-approval on the fixtures, sports regulations, and issues related to technical aspects.

The franchise league was previously scheduled to be held from April 8 to May 15. However, the organisers had postponed their plans to hold the competition on the stipulated dates citing unfitting circumstances caused by conflicts with ‘A’ Division League clubs.

Four premier division clubs—Three Star Club, Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC), New Road Team (NRT) and Sankata Club—had expressed their discontent over the NSL auction, which took place on March 4, saying the players’ auction was held without their (‘A’ Division clubs’) consent and the auctioned players were still under the contract of the club.

Prior to the auction, the four clubs, along with Machhindra Club, Satdobato Youth Club, Jawalakhel Youth Club and Friends Club, had expressed their serious concerns over the NSL auction and had asked their players not to join other clubs without permission.

ANFA had already approved the April–May dates for the NSL but the organisers and participating clubs, in a joint press meet on March 24, had said the competition would not be held on time citing conflicts.

The NSL organisers had also asked ANFA to allow them to hold the competition during the months of September and October.

The organisers have extended the NSL to 10 teams for this season, adding Jhapa, Sporting Ilam De Mechi and Birgunj United.

Biratnagar City, Kathmandu Rayzrs, Lalitpur City, Chitwan, Pokhara Thunders, Butwal Lumbini, and Dhangadhi competed in the first edition of the tournament that was held from April 24 to May 15 last year and was played behind closed doors at the Dasharath Stadium in Tripureshwar due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The NSL 2022 will be held in the cities of Pokhara and Kathmandu.