Government must find quick resolution to end Nepal football crisis

Since football’s world governing body FIFA  suspended the All Nepal Football Association for an indefinite period, football development has come to a standstill,further stagnating the state of the sport in the country.

Never before has there  been such a high  degree of uncertainty and unpredictability revolving around the most popular sport in the country.

Apparently,the  severe impact has put football development on hold on all fronts, and kept an uncountable  number  of footballers across the country disillusioned,frustrated,dejected, embittered and disenchanted like never seen before.

There are no indications of the crisis  ending soon to date.Responsible for the sorry state of Nepal football are both the National Sports Council(NSC) and the All Nepal Football Association ( ANFA) headed by Mr.Pankaj Bikram Nembang.

The  feud and disagreement  between the two parties over early  ANFA elections scheduled by the football body triggered third-party interference as per FIFA’s statute. 

It may be recalled that prior to  suspension by FIFA,NSC had   suspended ANFA for three months before revoking the decision  later.

As a result,the  world football governing body promptly imposed suspension on ANFA for breach of statute.

The suspension is a big setback  and is proving to be a disaster for  Nepal football development.

Both men and women’s national teams   across all age groups and clubs have been banned from participating in international competitions organized by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation(AFC).

Furthermore, as long as the suspension is in effect, ANFA will be cut off from the  much needed financial help,technical support,development  and training programs and many more.  

Already the impact is proving to be devastating for Nepal football as the development activities across the  country have  significantly slowed down.And if the suspension continues for a longer period of time,the probability of  it coming to a standstill is very high.

Consequently,Nepal's football standard is most likely to plummet to a record low and  lag behind the rest of the world dramatically. 

This  unimaginable unfortunate situation came at a time  when  both men and women’s national teams were showing signs of  progress in regional and international tournaments.

It’s a massive setback to players,coaches and everyone related to football  who have been aiming  high,striving for excellence, dreaming to  make a career and glorify the country internationally.

Players and coaches have appealed to the government to  initiate talks with FIFA  in order to lift  the suspension at the earliest in order  to avoid  the state of football in the country going from bad to worse.

 

There have been  reports of talks between FIFA and the government, however,the two sides are far from reaching an agreement.

As long as the  government refuses to  honor and respect FIFA statutes,the suspension is  bound to prolong further.

It’s close to two months  since the suspension was imposed but there are no indications of it ending soon.

Despite everything there is no end to football activities in the country thanks largely to the private sector. As always they have been organizing tournaments around the country in all geographical regions, keeping  both men and women players involved in the sport . 

They deserve a round of applause for their contribution to help nurture players  competitively,promote the sport and keep it growing.

With the domestic league suspended  and both national teams and clubs banned from international competitions for an indefinite period,active players have been frantically exploring different avenues   to keep playing competitive football.

As a result ,a good number of national players both men and women,have signed up with  clubs  in Bhutan , Malaysia,Bangladesh and Cambodia.

Additionally, a large number of local players from Jhapa, Ilam, Sunsari  and Morang are playing for different clubs in local tournaments in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Sikkim ,Siliguri,Assam and Calcutta. 

The participation of A Division team  Himalayan Sherpa and  Nepal XI   in the recently concluded 2026 Independence Day Cup in Kalimpong gave players the much needed chance to play.

Also the tournaments  in Darjeeling and Sikkim featured teams from Nepal.

It’s a big relief for players because they are able to play in these tournaments and give continuity to their playing time.

I feel very sorry for players who find themselves at a crossroads because of the  crisis Nepal football is in right now. 

The government cannot sit back idly, doing nothing and taking their own time  to resolve the crisis.They must not let the crisis prolong,elevating it to disastrous level.

They need to find a quick resolution to end the suspension and uncertainty that is causing players intense frustration , aggravation, anguish,anxiety and anger.

They must do everything in their capacity with  utmost priority to end the impasse to rescue Nepal football and revive  and sustain footballers' dreams.

With the  upcoming men ‘s South Asian Football Federation Championship taking  place in Bangladesh in November, if the suspension is not lifted in September Nepal will not be able to participate in the tournament.