KATHMANDU: The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and the Nepal Football Players Association have reached an agreement to hold the opening match of the A-Division League on April 13.
The decision was announced by ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah at a press conference on Tuesday following discussions between the two parties.
Shah said that both sides have also agreed on other demands raised by the players’ union. Earlier, on Sunday, the Nepal Football Players Association had staged a sit-in at the ANFA headquarters to press for their demands. Following the agreement, the ANFA headquarters has now reopened.
Players’ Association President Bikram Lama said the agreement marks the culmination of a long struggle to ensure the league takes place. “After prolonged street protests, ANFA committed to holding the league and even set a date. Earlier, there was only talk of organizing it without a confirmed schedule. Our persistent struggle even brought us to the point of locking the office,” he said.
ANFA Competition Director Sanjiv Mishra confirmed that the A-Division League will officially start on April 13. He added that the national league schedule will be revised to accommodate the league fixtures.
“Based on the agreement with the players’ union, the league must start on April 13. Even if the national league schedule overlaps until then, we plan to adjust it so that one match is played on April 13, followed by regular league fixtures from May 3,” Mishra said.
Nepal has not held a new A-Division League season since the 2023 edition, leaving a gap of over 1,000 days without top-tier football.
Regarding which club, Three Star or APF, will participate in the A-Division, Shah said the final decision will be made only after an official announcement.
The discussions included representatives from both sides. From the Players’ Associaiton: Bikram Lama, Bikesh Kuthu, Rohit Chand, Biraj Maharjan, and Anjan Bista. From ANFA: Secretariat committee members, General Secretary Kiran Rai, Indraman Tuladhar, Ravindra Joshi, and spokesperson Suresh Shah. The ANFA President was not present at the agreement signing.
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