We will start national league soon: ANFA

KATHMANDU, Nov 19 - The future of footballers is in danger as the turf war between two rival football associations continues. Saturday’s match between the two heavyweights of Nepali football - Nabil Three Star Club (NTSC) and Nepal Police - should serve as a revelation for all the officials who claim to be fighting for the betterment of the game.

If All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) President Ganesh Thapa, in his late forties, who represented NTSC in the friendly match, can still pose a threat to youngsters, most of whom are from the national team, then one can pretty well figure out which direction the country’s football is heading towards.

A prolific scorer in the 80s and 90s, Thapa, however, defended the younger players. “The standard of football has not gone down,” he told the Post. “In fact, the technical play of our new players has gone up. As far as my performance was concerned, it is obvious for a player of my calibre to show some skills despite the advancing age.” The ANFA boss stressed that the Martyrs Memorial League, which has not taken place for the past two years, should go a long way in making the younger players match-fit.

Indeed, one can not overstress the value of the national league. No one knows better than Nepali football officials who have witnessed embarrassing situations for our players in international games.

As importantly, the stalled league has taken a toll on the personal finances of the players. The league was the only source of income for some players. Little wonder, many of them have opted to leave the country and headed for menial jobs overseas.

ANFA has urged players not to lose their heart. “We are trying our best to resume the league at any cost,” says Thapa. “We have been flexible with the National Sport Council (NSC) in offering alternatives. And the talks are heading towards the right direction. We cannot afford to lose any more players because of the conflict between ANFA, NFA and the Council,” said Thapa.

ANFA and NFA, two rival national football associations, have been in loggerheads over who should be the right authority to run the national league.

Salyan Khadgi of Sankata Football Club is among the many players frustrated with the never-ending conflict. He says, “The league has wrecked havoc on our personal finances. Earlier, most of the players used to earn a minimum of Rs. 10,000 but not anymore. We have to make a living and if football cannot provide us with that, we have to find something else to carry on.”

The past month saw some efforts from both the football associations - ANFA and Nepal Football Association (NFA) - to resolve their differences and resume the league by proposing alternatives to the National Sports Council. But none look in sight, making everyone following the game pessimistic.

Saturday’s game was a clear indication of how much the Nepali spectators are missing Nepal’s top-flight football. Despite little buzz about the game, a considerable number of football fans thronged the Dasrath Stadium.