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Kathmandu / Lalitpur, 18 January 2026 (Magh 4, 2082) —Nepali football is facing a serious crisis after the Patan High Court again ordered the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) to stop all election-related activities, directly conflicting with clear instructions issued by FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Patan High Court had earlier issued a short-term interim order halting ANFA’s election process. On 18 January, the court issued another interim order, directing that all election-related work must remain at status quo until the final decision of the case.
The single bench of Ms Shreedhar Kumar Pudasaini ruled that ANFA’s current Executive Committee, elected in June 2022 for a four-year term, still has time remaining in its mandate. Based on this, the court restrained the implementation of decisions related to the upcoming election.
Just two days earlier, on 16 January 2026, FIFA and AFC had sent a joint letter to ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai, stating that the Executive Committee election scheduled for 11 February 2026 was fully in line with ANFA statutes. FIFA and AFC confirmed that ANFA’s election process was legal and raised no governance concerns.
In the same letter, FIFA and AFC issued a strong warning, stating that any third-party interference — including from government bodies or courts — could lead to sanctions against Nepal, including suspension from international football, even if ANFA itself was not responsible for the interference.
Earlier on Sunday, ANFA informed its member associations, clubs, provincial and district football bodies that FIFA and AFC had already approved the election process. ANFA also warned that if the election could not be held due to outside interference, Nepali football could face severe consequences.
If Nepal is suspended by FIFA, national teams would be barred from international competitions, Nepali clubs would be excluded from Asian tournaments, and all FIFA and AFC funding and development programmes would be stopped.
ANFA had planned to hold its Ordinary Congress and Executive Committee election in Jhapa on 11 February 2026, but following repeated court orders, the future of the election — and Nepali football — now remains uncertain.
With FIFA closely monitoring developments, Nepali football finds itself caught between international football regulations and domestic legal orders, placing ANFA in danger of collapse if the deadlock continues.
