June 25 – FIFA has suspended the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) with immediate effect concluding that there has been a serious violation of FIFA statutes related to third-party interference.    

In a statement on Wednesday, the global governing body said: “the Bureau of the Council has decided to suspend the All Nepal Football Association with immediate effect due to flagrant violations of the FIFA Statutes linked to interference by a third party in accordance with article 14 paragraphs 1(i) and 3 of the FIFA Statutes.” 

The article governs member associations’ obligations and mandates that all members manage their affairs independently without undue influence from third parties. 

Nepali football has been in turmoil, prompting the country’s government to suspend ANFA, which in turn has prompted FIFA to intervene.  

For years, Nepal’s FA has been mired in scandal. In 2016, FIFA’s ethics committee banned then-ANFA President Ganesh Thapa for bribery. The Nepalese authorities also investigated Thapa for allegedly embezzling millions of development money. 

Today, Nepali domestic football has come to a standstill with domestic players moving abroad to find clubs to ply their trade. Between 1,250 and 2,100 players across three tiers of Nepali football are deprived of regular games and income. 

There has been no timeline for when the Nepali domestic league will resume and the new FIFA suspension casts further problems over the resumption of the domestic game.  

Contact the writer of this story, Samindra Kunti, at [email protected]