ANFA executive members demand President Nembang’s Resignation Over Leadership Failure, with an option
Kathmandu — A major rift has surfaced within the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) as multiple executive members, including the Senior Vice President, have demanded the resignation of President Pankaj Bikram Nembang, expressing grave dissatisfaction with his leadership and concern over the declining state of Nepali football. At a joint press conference held on Monday at Café Point, Naxal, Senior Vice President Bir Bahadur Khadka, Vice President Birat Jung Shahi, and Executive Members Rabindra Chand Thakuri and Rupesh Adhikari collectively called for Nembang to step down. The group has also urged ANFA leadership to immediately announce early elections and resume the long-delayed national league. “Under this ineffective leadership, Nepal has failed to organise its top-tier league for years,” said Senior Vice President Khadka. “We respectfully urge President Pankaj Bikram Nembang to step aside if he cannot revive football in the country. If he refuses to do so, we demand the announcement of early elections. We are ready to carry forward all stalled programs ourselves.”  Echoing similar sentiments, Central Executive Member Rabindra Chand accused the leadership of being “arrogant with majority power” and failing to generate internal resources. “Our voices are being ignored in executive meetings,” Chand said. “Due to the leadership’s inability to mobilise resources, the football cycle has been completely disrupted.” Under Nembang’s leadership, ANFA has failed to organise the top-division league for nearly two and a half years—a record hiatus in Nepali football history. Although ANFA had announced plans to conduct the league in January (Poush), meetings between the football governing body and top-division clubs have yet to materialise, deepening the uncertainty over the domestic football calendar. This internal fallout has once again highlighted the deep-rooted crisis in Nepali football governance, with growing calls for accountability, reform, and revival.
