On Sunday, footballers organised under Nepal Football Player Association (NFPA) padlocked the main building of ANFA at the ANFA complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur.

The NFPA members pasted their statement on the building’s wooden door, putting forth a three-point demand. Their first demand is that the country’s football government body unveil the schedule for A Division so that the players are assured that the top-tier league will take place in time.

Secondly, they have asked ANFA to disclose the details of the Players’ Perpetual Fund, including the account of Rs6.5 million that was levied from a tournament last year—during the four-nation friendly that Nepal hosted by inviting Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon and Myanmar in February.

In the third point, the NFPA has demanded ANFA to reimburse the promised prize money since 2017 and provide salary to the players regularly.

When the players reached ANFA on Sunday, which was a public holiday for Women’s Day, they faced the officials of Nepal Football Coaches Association (NFCA), the umbrella organisation of Nepal’s football coaches. In videos of heated discussion between players and coaches posted across social media platforms, coaches were seen acting as a mediator and suggesting the NFPA to not padlock ANFA’s administrative building.

The step had fans blaming coaches for supporting ANFA.

Later that day, the NFCA released a press statement stating that they were in support of the players, and that the videos circulating on social media were misleading.

Nepali football’s downfall

This is not the first time that footballers have protested against ANFA recently. Four months ago, on November 4, over a dozen players left their national and international-level medals hanging on the main gate to the ANFA Complexe.

They demanded the most basic thing that an athlete could ask for—a platform to play.

The country’s top-tier domestic club football competition—Martyr’s Memorial A Division League—has not been organised for over 1,000 days. The overall league cycle—B and C Divisions and Qualifier for the third tier—has been irregular.

Observers have attributed the recent poor performances by the Nepali men’s senior football team in international competitions to the lack of regular domestic football.

The domestic league in women’s category has been regular. New players are being identified, and the senior women’s team, though they are yet to win their first international trophy in history, have been making their mark at the global stage.

Women’s football is attracting a bigger crowd than that of the men’s—be it domestic or international.

But the popularity and “heart-winning” aspects of women’s football only hides the ANFA’s irresponsibility. ANFA has been found to have poorly managing players’ itinerary during international tournaments, wherein women players were reportedly told to do without sufficient ice for recovery, and even the basics such as enough drinking water and diet.

In an interview with the Post after Nepal’s loss to the hosts in penalties during the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup Qualifiers in Uzbekistan on July 5 last year, Patrick de Wilde, the then head coach of the women’s team, said that he was dissatisfied with the basic services provided to his players.

“The players were kept in a hostel-like hotel when I arrived to take charge in Nepal,” de Wilde said. Within a few days after the interview, de Wilde resigned. He was barely a month into his one-year term. Matt Ross, head coach of the men’s team, also resigned in November, also without completing his one-year term last year.

ANFA garnered more anger from fans last month after Nepal’s most-accomplished women footballer, Sabitra Bhandari ‘Samba’, sought funds for her surgery. Fans called out ANFA for failing to provide sufficient financial aid to the star striker.

ANFA’s defence

On Monday morning, ANFA responded to the footballers’ latest protest.

“The padlocking by NFPA, one of ANFA’s organisations, on a public holiday without prior information or communication has caught the attention of ANFA,” the Monday statement signed by spokesperson Suresh Shah reads. “ANFA condemns the prohibitory act as the doors for discussion with the mother organisation were always open.”

ANFA has clarified its stance over the three demands by the NFPA.

“As per the previous agreement with clubs and players, ANFA is firm on the decision to organise the A Division League within a month after the National League concludes,” ANFA’s statement reads. “ANFA is also firm on adding a portion of the amount earned during the final game of the four-nation tournament to the Players’ Perpetual Fund.”

Regarding the prize money, ANFA clarified that it had provided the money the current executive committee had promised. “As the money promised by previous executive committees should be paid through internal sources, it will be reimbursed slowly,” it said.

ANFA has also warned that the NFPA shall be accountable as the padlock would affect the ongoing National League alongside the organisation of the upcoming U18 League and Women’s League, among other domestic tournaments.

Further, claiming that it was clear and transparent regarding the three demands, ANFA has asked the NFPA to end the protest and allow them to continue with their activities.

Fans want back the golden days

The bad blood between ANFA and the players has had fans worried.

Fans the Post talked to said they expect the problems are resolved at the earliest and Nepali football is revived.

Football continues to dominate tea shop conversations in Nepal’s eastern region, long considered the powerhouse of the country’s football. As dozens of players from the region have made the national squad over the decades, fans here hold a special affinity to Nepali football.

“Biraj Maharjan, Bikesh Kuthu and Bikram Lama, among others, were there,” said Sagar Bhattarai, a local of Pathari Shanishchare Municipality-9 in Morang, as he sat for a morning tea in Shanishchare Chowk on Monday. Bhattarai said so after one of his friends referenced the footballers’ protest after watching a video on social media.

“I hope that Ghanti will solve the problems and bring Nepali football back to its glorious days,” Arjun Rai, one of Bhattarai’s friends, said as he kept his phone down after the video concluded. Rai was referring to the landslide victory of Rastriya Swatantra Party in the recently held elections with the bell symbol.

Nepali football fans have high hopes for the sport’s improvement from the soon-to-be-formed government.

“Do you remember the days when we used to talk about clubs like Three Star, Manang Marsyangdi and Machhindra?” Rai asked his friends.

One of his friends replied with a grin, “There were no Real Madrid and Barcelona for us then.”

Bhattarai, who is also an organiser of the local Intra Pathari Shanishchare Gold Cup, took the conversation back to the country’s changed political landscape. “We hope that the new government brings Nepali football back on track,” he said.