Presidents of four district associations of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Monday made allegation of irregularities against the current leadership of the football governing body. 

Kathmandu FC President Birat Jung Shahi, Bhaktapur FA President Gautam Sujhaku, Dhading President Dipak Khatiwada and Lalitpur President Purusottam Thapa outlined a 14-point irregularities since Karma Tshering Sherpa was elected at the helm of ANFA in May. They demanded probe of the irregularities and misconduct from the National Sports Council (NSC) and Ministry of Youth and Sports (MoYS).  

Dhading President Khatiwada alleged Sherpa leadership of sending ‘foreign citizen’ Nabin Pande as Nepal’s representative at the FIFA Congress in Russia in June. Pande, a German citizen, was one of the representatives of Nepal along with Sherpa in the FIFA Congress. 

They also questioned the murky dealing in the sales of 2018 FIFA World Cup tickets by ANFA, reluctance in implementing financial regulations approved by the ANFA Congress, haphazardly distributing allowances and irregularities in renovation and reconstruction of ANFA office. “The current leadership has been undergoing renovating and furnishing work of ANFA office with a hefty amount of Rs 30 million,” said Khatiwada. “In the first place, they have not followed the established norms while undertaking the project. Secondly, the structure was in good shape and did not require maintenance. They should have channelled the money instead to the development of the game itself,” said Khatiwada.

Khatiwada also alleged ANFA of misleading the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) by demanding more budget than actually required while conducting the AFC tournament (AFC U-16 Women Championship Qualifier). Khatiwada  claimed that ANFA produced fake documents to make it happen. 

He also criticised ANFA for needlessly sending vice presidents at a FIFA seminar instead of national team head coach and technical director in London in September. Khatiwada also questioned ANFA’s professionalism by depositing money meant for District FAs into the personal accounts of the respective presidents.

“We will report all these cases to the AFC and seek strict action,” said Khatiwada adding that they had earlier submitted evidences of misconduct during the ANFA election to the NSC, MoYS and AFC.