Former vice-president Tashi Ghale on Monday announced his candidacy for president of the All Nepal Football Association (Anfa).

Ghale, a hotelier, announced he would run for the top job during a programme that unveiled the newly elected committee of the Manang Marshyangdi Club (MMC). “I am running for Anfa top job,” Ghale said adding Anfa needs to come up with better electoral procedures.

“During its previous elections, Anfa had set the criteria of having five proposers and five seconders to file for the president candidacy. If the country can chose a prime minister with one proposer and one seconder, why would Anfa require so many. This has to change,” said Ghale, who was once the coordinator of the Anfa Academy.

Anfa is holding its general assembly on October 24, which will elect president and a vice-president. After Fifa slapped a 10-year ban on former president Ganesh Thapa on bribery and corruption charges, Anfa has been without a president. Narendra Shrestha has been carrying the duty as an acting president. The vice-president post had been vacant following the demise of Lalit Krishna Shrestha, who died of electrocution over a year ago.

Ghale had also led MMC, one of the most successful top tier outfits of Nepal, twice as president. He said there was a need of bringing reputation back in Anfa. “The recent match-fixing scandal involving national players, inclusion of over-aged players in international tournaments and the ban on Thapa has brought the game to disrepute,” he said.  “Football needs to regain its reputation and to do that, Anfa has to adopt a new approach. Before that, it has to create a conducive environment to fight for the president,” added Ghale.