The Club Coordination Committee, campaigning against the working ways of the All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) and its leadership, on Friday hinted towards a possible end to their struggle against the football governing body.

Reacting to Fifa’s May 11 directive that asked Anfa to reinstate four of its suspended officials and hold fresh elections for a new president, the Committee said it was now time for Nepali football to seek a new beginning. The Committee is comprised of the four suspended officials and is backed by some A, B and C Division clubs of the country.

“The Fifa directive has given an opportunity for us to move ahead and start afresh. We have to leave behind the past grievances and move ahead,” said the “suspended” Anfa vice-president Karma Tshering Sherpa, who is also a member of the Committee.

Nepal’s football governing body had suspended vice-president trio Sherpa, Bijay Narayan Manandhar and Kishor Rai along with central committee member Pankaj Nembang alleging them of deliberately “not attending” the executive meeting for four consecutive times. But Fifa directed Anfa to reinstate the four officials by May 23 and hold elections for a new president as soon as possible. 

After the fall of disgraced President Ganesh Thapa, Anfa has seen no change in its leadership with Narendra Shrestha—not an executive member—leading in the interim. Anfa is certain to miss the May 23 deadline in the reinstatement of the officials owing to its statute procedures but Sherpa said the committee was ready to wait a little longer. 

“The provision in the Anfa statute might take a little longer than the Fifa deadline to implement the directive. If we can prolong our campaign for two years, then we would have no problem in waiting a bit longer,” said Sherpa adding they were ready to withdraw the court case filed against Anfa decision to suspend them if required. 

“The Fifa directive has all but addressed our grievances by asking Anfa to reinstate us. The case itself has no significance now. If that court case proves as a barrier in solving the existing problem, we will withdraw it within an hour,” added Sherpa, who is also the president of Himalayan Sherpa Club.