The world governing body FIFA has officially suspended the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) with immediate effect after determining that the organization had been subjected to serious third-party interference, marking a major setback for Nepalese football on the international stage.
The decision was announced following a review by the FIFA Council Bureau, which examined a series of disputes involving ANFA, Nepal’s National Sports Council (NSC), domestic legal proceedings, and delays surrounding the federation’s electoral process.
According to FIFA, the suspension stems from events dating back to late 2025 when ANFA began preparations for its presidential election ahead of the expiration of its executive committee’s mandate in June 2026.
Although FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) initially approved ANFA’s election plans, the process soon became entangled in legal challenges, government directives, and intervention from Nepal’s National Sports Council.
The dispute escalated throughout the first half of 2026 as court injunctions, election postponements, and government orders repeatedly disrupted the electoral process.
FIFA and AFC consistently maintained that ANFA should be allowed to conduct its affairs independently under its own statutes, warning that external interference could lead to sanctions.
The situation reached a critical point on March 25, 2026, when Nepal’s National Sports Council suspended ANFA for three months, accusing the federation of violating national sports regulations and disregarding directives relating to constitutional amendments and district-level elections.
The suspension forced ANFA to postpone its planned electoral congress and created what FIFA described as significant institutional uncertainty.
Despite multiple warnings and requests from FIFA and AFC for the NSC to withdraw its decision unconditionally, the governing bodies concluded that the interference continued.
Further concerns arose when travel restrictions were imposed on ANFA officials, preventing them from attending major international football events, including the AFC Congress and FIFA Congress.
As a result of the suspension, ANFA immediately loses all membership rights under FIFA statutes.
The sanctions mean Nepal’s national teams are barred from participating in international competitions, Nepalese clubs cannot take part in FIFA or AFC tournaments, ANFA officials and representatives are prohibited from attending FIFA and AFC events.
The federation loses access to FIFA and AFC development programmes, funding initiatives, courses, and technical support.
The suspension will remain in place until FIFA’s conditions are fully met.
FIFA outlined two key requirements for the suspension to be lifted:
- The National Sports Council must fully and unconditionally revoke its March 25 decision and restore the authority of ANFA’s current executive committee.
- ANFA must be allowed to complete its electoral process without interference and in accordance with its statutes and regulations.
The suspension represents one of the most serious governance crises in Nepalese football history and comes at a time when the country’s football community has been working to strengthen its position within Asian football.
With national teams and clubs now frozen from international participation, the pressure will intensify on Nepalese authorities and football stakeholders to find a resolution that satisfies FIFA’s governance requirements.
Until then, Nepal football faces an uncertain future, with its international activities effectively halted while the governance dispute remains unresolved.
Credit Photo : HongZHeng Lim/SNE-Photo
