The All Nepal Football Association on Tuesday morning said that its secretariat would remain closed with immediate effect until further notice. ANFA would hold its Ordinary Congress on Tuesday and host an election in Jhapa on March 27, the football governing body said.

The decision didn’t sit well with the National Sports Council, the governing body of Nepali sports, which sought clarification from ANFA.

“The Executive Meeting of the Council on March 23, under sections 28(M) and 29(1) of the Sports Development Act, decided to seek clarification regarding why action under 29(2) should not be imposed,” read NSC’s letter to ANFA on Tuesday. “It has been directed under 29(7) to submit a written response within 24 hours after receiving the letter.”

Section 28 of the Sports Development Act states the conditions to be accepted by sports associations. 28(M) states that associations should follow the conditions set by the ministry, council and executive committee.

Similarly, Section 29 revolves around ‘suspension’. 29(1) states that if an association violates any of the conditions under Section 28, the Council can direct the association to abide by them.

“If an association does not follow the directive under 29(1), it can be suspended for a period of three months,” reads Section 29(2).

ANFA and NSC have been at loggerheads for several months now over the early election issue.

Nonetheless, the Council has accepted the fact that ANFA had been given the green light for the early election from its international federations—FIFA and AFC. The clarification, however, has been sought for not complying with the national laws and directives from the governing bodies.

The Council has been requesting ANFA to hold its election only after ensuring a fresh mandate at the district level. Similarly, different individuals and groups have also taken the issue to the court, citing that the central “fresh mandate” was an illusion without district elections, as the same individuals who elected the current president in 2022 will be voting again.