ANFA suspended by FIFA as the world enjoys World Cup

KATHMANDU: As football fans around the world enjoy the excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Nepali supporters have been left disappointed after a long-running dispute within the country’s football administration led to the suspension of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) by the Federation of International Football Associations (FIFA).

The world football governing body announced the suspension of ANFA until further notice on Thursday.

The suspension means Nepal will lose access to FIFA’s financial assistance and will not be allowed to participate in international football activities, including matches involving national teams and age-group sides.

“With effect from June 24, ANFA has lost all of its membership rights, as defined in Article 13 of the FIFA Statutes, until further notice. ANFA representative and club teams are therefore no longer entitled to international competitions until the suspension is lifted,” the letter sent by ANFA read. “This also means that neither ANFA nor any of its members or officials may benefit from any development programs, courses or training from ANFA and/or the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).”

The suspension follows months of conflict within Nepal’s football administration.

The four-year term of ANFA President Pankaj Bikram Nembang and his executive committee ended on June 19. However, controversy had already emerged after Nembang attempted to hold early elections five months before the completion of his tenure.

Nembang’s leadership was preparing to conduct the election to extend his tenure without updating the status of more than 30 member organizations whose four-year terms had expired. The move drew complaints from ANFA members, prompting the National Sports Council (NSC) to take action against the football body.

Following continued disputes, the NSC suspended ANFA for three months in March. Although the suspension was lifted, ANFA’s leadership did not move forward with the election process. As a result, the tenure of the Nembang-led executive committee ended on June 19.