All Nepal Football Association
The governing body responsible for association football in Nepal, including national teams, clubs, leagues, grassroots development, and competitions.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
The All Nepal Football Association, commonly known as ANFA, is Nepal's national governing body for association football. It administers and represents the sport across the country, overseeing Nepal's men's and women's national teams, youth selections, affiliated provincial and district associations, domestic club competitions, referee and coaching development, and football infrastructure projects. ANFA is the institutional link between Nepalese football and the international football system, including FIFA and the Asian Football Confederation. Football took root in Nepal during the Rana period in the early twentieth century. The sport was reportedly introduced around 1921 by young Nepalese players who had encountered it abroad, and it quickly attracted interest in Kathmandu. Early matches were played by palace and local teams at grounds in and around Kathmandu, including Singha Durbar, Chhauni, Gaucharan, Jawalakhel, Lainchaur, and areas associated with the royal residences. In this formative period, football was organized informally and facilities were limited, but the game continued to spread despite political change and the absence of standardized infrastructure. ANFA was established in 1951. Its formal development gave Nepalese football a national administrative structure, allowing competitions, clubs, regional organizations, and national representation to be coordinated more systematically. The association became affiliated with FIFA in 1972, an important milestone that enabled Nepal to participate within the global football framework and helped connect its national teams and domestic structures with international standards. ANFA also operates within the Asian football system through its relationship with the AFC. The association's domestic responsibilities include the organization and regulation of men's and women's leagues, youth competitions, futsal events, provincial and district tournaments, and national cup competitions. Competitions associated with ANFA include the Martyr's Memorial A-Division, B-Division, and C-Division leagues, the National League, the ANFA Women's League, the ANFA U-18 and U-16 Youth Leagues, the A-Division National Futsal League, the ANFA Cup, the President's League, province and district leagues, and school-level tournaments. The Nepal Super League operates as part of the country's broader professional football landscape, although its precise administrative relationship with ANFA may vary by competition and season. A major part of ANFA's mandate is football development. It has invested in facilities, accommodation, training sites, and technical centers intended to support player development outside Kathmandu as well as at the national center in Satdobato. Projects associated with the FIFA Goal program have included technical centers or football academies in Chyasal in Lalitpur, Butwal and Rupandehi, and the Sunsari and Dharan areas. ANFA has also identified the mid-western and far-western regions as areas for further technical-center development. The association's network includes seven provincial football associations and 48 district football associations, providing a structure for wider participation and talent identification. ANFA's institutional identity is therefore broader than that of a conventional commercial brand. It is a sports federation whose public role combines regulation, national representation, competition management, development programming, and international affiliation. Its visibility is concentrated in Nepal and among football audiences in South Asia. The association is headquartered at ANFA House in the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur. The Wikipedia reference material identifies Pankaj Bikram Nembang as its president. The same material reports that FIFA suspended ANFA on 24 June 2026 over alleged third-party interference connected with Nepal's National Sports Council; because that date is future-dated relative to some reference contexts, the suspension and its continuing status should be checked against current FIFA and ANFA notices.
History
Football entered Nepal during the Rana regime around 1921. Early participants included young Nepalese players who had learned the game abroad, while local and palace teams helped establish an audience for the sport in Kathmandu. Historical accounts associate the early development of Nepalese football with figures such as Narayan Narsingh Rana of Thamel and Chandrajung Thapa of Naxal. Teams used grounds connected with palace residences and public areas including Singha Durbar, Chhauni, Gaucharan, Jawalakhel, and Lainchaur. Facilities were rudimentary, and early matches were sometimes played without conventional goalposts, but football continued to gain popularity through the middle of the twentieth century. The All Nepal Football Association was founded in 1951, creating a national framework for coordinating football activity. The association's establishment helped move the sport from largely informal and locally organized play toward a more structured system involving clubs, competitions, national representation, and regional administration. ANFA's eventual affiliation with FIFA in 1972 connected Nepalese football to the global governing structure. Its international role also developed through the Asian Football Confederation, which provides the regional framework for national teams and club football. Over time, ANFA became responsible for a broad range of football activities. These include the administration of Nepal's men's and women's national teams, domestic league and cup competitions, youth football, futsal, school tournaments, and the organization of provincial and district football. Its competition portfolio has included the Martyr's Memorial A-Division, B-Division, and C-Division leagues; the National League; the ANFA Women's League; youth leagues for under-18 and under-16 players; provincial and district leagues; the President's League; the ANFA Cup; and national futsal and school competitions. Through these activities, ANFA acts both as regulator and event organizer, while affiliated provincial and district bodies provide local reach. Development work has been a central part of ANFA's institutional mission. The association established facilities at the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, including office, training, and accommodation infrastructure. It also pursued technical centers and football academies designed to decentralize training and create a pathway for identifying players beyond Kathmandu. Projects associated with the FIFA Goal program included centers in Chyasal in Lalitpur, Butwal and Rupandehi, and the Sunsari and Dharan areas. Plans have also been discussed for additional facilities in Nepal's mid-western and far-western regions. The federation's reported network of seven provincial associations and 48 district associations gives it a nationwide organizational structure. ANFA's history has also included governance challenges. The reference material reports that FIFA suspended the association on 24 June 2026, alleging serious violations of FIFA Statutes related to third-party interference under Article 14. The reported dispute involved Nepal's National Sports Council. During a FIFA suspension, affiliated teams and clubs may lose eligibility for international competitions, making the issue significant for Nepalese national teams, clubs, and the federation's international standing. Since the cited date is future-dated relative to some publication contexts, the precise status and chronology should be verified through official FIFA and ANFA communications. Today, ANFA is best understood as Nepal's national football federation rather than a commercial consumer brand. Its responsibilities span governance, competition administration, national-team representation, infrastructure, talent development, and coordination with international football authorities. It is headquartered at ANFA House in the ANFA Complex in Satdobato, Lalitpur. The reference material identifies Pankaj Bikram Nembang as president.
- 2026
Reported FIFA suspension
[1]The reference material reports that FIFA suspended ANFA on 24 June 2026 over alleged third-party interference involving Nepal's National Sports Council.
- 1972
FIFA affiliation
[1]ANFA became affiliated with FIFA, formalizing Nepal's connection to the international football governance system.
- 1951
ANFA is founded
[1]The All Nepal Football Association was established as the national body for organizing and administering football in Nepal.
- 1921
Football takes root in Nepal
[1]Football was introduced and began developing in Nepal during the Rana regime, initially through players who had encountered the sport abroad.
Technical-center development
[1]ANFA developed technical centers and academy facilities in several parts of Nepal through projects associated with FIFA's Goal program.
Products and positioning
Nepal's central football authority and national representative within the international football system, combining sport governance with league administration, national-team management, and grassroots development.
Football governance
National-team administration
ANFA manages and represents Nepal's men's and women's national football teams, along with youth selections and the associated sporting, administrative, and international competition responsibilities.
Domestic football competitions
Martyr's Memorial League system
The Martyr's Memorial competition structure includes A-Division, B-Division, and C-Division football. These leagues form an important part of Nepal's domestic club pyramid and provide competitive pathways for clubs and players.
Women's football
ANFA Women's League
The ANFA Women's League is part of the association's domestic competition portfolio and supports the organization and visibility of women's club football in Nepal.
Youth football
ANFA Youth Leagues
The under-18 and under-16 youth leagues provide structured competition for developing players and contribute to ANFA's broader talent-identification and national-team development system.
Football development infrastructure
Technical centers and football academies
ANFA's technical centers provide training and development infrastructure intended to broaden access to organized football. Facilities have been associated with Chyasal, Butwal, Rupandehi, Sunsari, and Dharan, with further regional expansion identified as a development objective.
Controversies
2026
Reported FIFA suspension over third-party interference
The reference material states that FIFA suspended ANFA with immediate effect on 24 June 2026 under provisions concerning third-party interference. The reported action followed a governance dispute involving Nepal's National Sports Council and could restrict affiliated Nepalese teams and clubs from international competitions.
Brand decisions
2026
FIFA suspensionOtherBackground
FIFA reported alleged flagrant violations of its statutes connected with third-party interference in ANFA governance.
Action taken
The Bureau of the FIFA Council reportedly suspended ANFA with immediate effect on 24 June 2026, pending satisfaction of conditions for lifting the suspension.
Aftermath
The reference material states that ANFA-affiliated clubs and teams were no longer entitled to participate in international competitions during the suspension.
- Expand football development beyond KathmanduStrategy
Background
Football development required facilities and structured training opportunities outside the capital.
Action taken
ANFA developed technical centers and academy infrastructure in several regions, including projects connected with the FIFA Goal program.
Aftermath
The projects created a broader institutional base for training, accommodation, and player development, although the full operational results of each center are not specified in the reference material.
Recent events
ANFA expands football infrastructure through technical centers[1]
Other
ANFA developed or supported technical-center and academy facilities in locations including Chyasal, Butwal, Rupandehi, Sunsari, and Dharan, with projects associated with FIFA's Goal program. The facilities are intended to support training, accommodation, and longer-term player development.
Sources2 sources
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