By Paul Joseph
World football governing body FIFA has suspended the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) from all international football activities following what it described as undue third-party interference in the administration of the game in Nepal.
The suspension, announced on Wednesday, takes immediate effect and stems from a prolonged governance dispute between ANFA and Nepal’s National Sports Council, the government body responsible for sports administration in the country.
In a letter addressed to ANFA, FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström said the decision was taken due to what FIFA termed “flagrant violations” of its statutes, which require national football associations to operate independently without government interference.
The conflict dates back to March 2026 when Nepal’s National Sports Council suspended ANFA for three months while the football body was preparing to conduct elections that had previously been agreed upon by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. Although the suspension was lifted in May, disagreements over the electoral process and governance reforms persisted.
According to FIFA, the required elective congress has faced repeated delays, while the sports council continued to issue directives, including proposals to amend ANFA’s statutes under Nepal’s sports development laws.
As a result of the suspension, Nepal’s national teams and clubs are barred from participating in international competitions. The country will also lose access to FIFA development funding, training programmes, and technical assistance until the matter is resolved.
FIFA stated that the suspension could be lifted if the National Sports Council withdraws its March decisions and allows ANFA to complete its electoral process without external interference.
Nepal is currently ranked 175th in the FIFA men’s world rankings, while the women’s national team sits 88th globally.
The development marks another instance of FIFA enforcing its long-standing policy that national football federations must remain free from political or governmental control.
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