By Sachit Subba • Football • Oct 14, 2025 15:29 PM • 128 views
Kathmandu, October 15 — The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) has officially announced that the proposed home-and-away league system will not be implemented immediately, citing logistical challenges and extended preparation time required by top-tier clubs. Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at the ANFA headquarters in Satdobato, General Secretary Kiran Rai confirmed that the federation has decided to continue with the existing league structure for now. “We reached this conclusion after top-division clubs stated they would need 8 to 10 months of preparation time for a home-and-away league,” Rai said. “Waiting that long is not practical, so we’ve decided to conduct the league under the previous format for the time being. We’ll discuss the matter further with clubs after the Chhath festival.”
The decision comes amid growing debate within Nepal’s football community over the need to modernise the domestic league structure. The home-and-away format—seen as a step toward professionalising Nepali football—was proposed to ensure equal opportunity for all clubs to host matches, improve fan engagement, and generate revenue at the local level.
However, with clubs citing insufficient infrastructure, financial strain, and lack of readiness to manage a full-fledged home-and-away calendar, ANFA opted for a pragmatic short-term solution.
For now, Nepali football will see continuity under the traditional centralised league setup, while discussions about reforming the national competition structure are expected to resume later this year.
