Nepal barred from international football after FIFA suspends ANFA

FIFA has suspended the All Nepal Football Association, which means Nepal cannot compete in international football for now. The decision is tied to a governance dispute involving ANFA and Nepal’s National Sports Council.

The AFP-reported account in the source says FIFA acted because it judged there had been outside interference in the running of Nepali football. The dispute centres on ANFA’s delayed election process and earlier decisions by the National Sports Council, including directions linked to the association’s statutes.

The practical impact is immediate for Nepal’s football system. The men’s team was reported as ranked 175th by FIFA, while the women’s team was listed 88th, and the suspension also cuts ANFA off from FIFA development programmes, courses and training.

ANFA spokesman Suresh Shah said stakeholders were being consulted to find a way to remove the suspension, while National Sports Council member secretary Ram Charitra Mehta said the government did not want this outcome and was looking for other ways to address the crisis. FIFA’s stated route back is for the council to reverse its March decisions and allow ANFA to complete its elective congress.