Following continuous third-party interference from government bodies, the All Nepal Football Association has risked FIFA suspension. Many feared the suspension would be announced as early as April 30 during the FIFA Congress. That risk has now been averted.
FIFA has given Nepal a new deadline of May 4 to honour ANFA’s autonomy.
The governing body of Nepali football was slapped with a three-month suspension by the National Sports Council, the governing body of Nepali sports, on March 25.
FIFA is holding its 76th Congress in Vancouver, Canada, on April 30. The fourth agenda of the 76th Congress is “suspension or expulsion of a Member Association”.
“The Congress may suspend a member association solely at the request of the Council,” reads the FIFA Statutes.
The Council is the strategic and oversight body of FIFA. It currently has 37 members—a president, eight vice-presidents and 28 members.
But it seems Nepal will not be the member association to be discussed under the agenda in a week.
Following NSC’s suspension, FIFA, as well as the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), had intervened. Elkhan Mammadov, FIFA’s chief member associations officer, and Vahid Kardany, AFC’s deputy general secretary-member associations, sent a letter to ANFA on April 4.
The letter had stated a seven-day deadline for the NSC to revoke its suspension on ANFA. But it went unheard.
“If the NSC fail to cancel or annul the aforementioned decision … the matter will be submitted to the FIFA Council for the immediate suspension of ANFA,” the April 4 letter had warned.
After that, an online meeting took place between the NSC, ANFA, FIFA and AFC officials on April 13. The international footballing bodies had, once again, stressed that the NSC withdraw the suspension.
But as the NSC does not seem to be entertaining FIFA and AFC’s directives, Nepali football is now at risk of an international suspension.
FIFA and AFC are following their procedures before suspending ANFA.
And when the meeting fails, either a normalisation committee is formed, or the member association is suspended. In the context of Nepal, suspension is the way forward for FIFA and AFC.
A month has passed since the NSC suspended ANFA, which has been forced to stop its early election, due to the suspension within the country.
And FIFA and AFC are against it. They further stressed their position through a letter on Wednesday.
Signed by Mammadov and Kardany again, the recent letter, which ANFA revealed on Thursday, states that Nepali football would be safe from their suspension only if they honoured the autonomy of ANFA.
“This decision—requesting ANFA to halt the ongoing electoral process, amend certain provisions of its Statutes, and require district associations to amend their statutes and hold elective general assemblies—significantly impacts ANFA’s autonomy and activities,” the letter reads, “…and, as previously noted, constitutes in our view a clear case of undue third-party interference, in violation of ANFA’s obligations as a FIFA and AFC member association.”
Further, the international bodies have clarified that there could be no proper dialogue with the Nepali authorities unless ANFA is allowed to exercise its autonomy.
“In light of the above, we remain confident that a solution can be reached and kindly encourage the NSC to reconsider its position and revoke its decision by 4 May 2026,” the letter reads. “…following which we would be pleased to engage in constructive dialogue with all stakeholders to find common ground.”
FIFA and AFC had also sent letters supporting ANFA’s plan for an early election before the suspension. The letters were sent on January 16 and March 13.
FIFA and AFC have asked ANFA to forward the letter, which has been sent to ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai, to the relevant authorities, especially the NSC.
“In the meantime, we remain at the disposal of all parties for any further engagement, if required,” the letter concludes.
Meanwhile, when there is no FIFA Congress on the horizon, it does not mean that a member association will not be suspended.
“The Council may, without a vote of the Congress, temporarily suspend with immediate effect a member association that seriously violates its obligations,” reads the FIFA Statutes. “A suspension approved by the Council shall be in effect until the next Congress, unless the Council has revoked such suspension prior to such Congress.”
Nayak Paudel covers sports for The Kathmandu Post. He previously worked at the Post (2018–19) and spent over five years at The Rising Nepal. His reporting spans crime, health, education, and social issues.
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