The High Court on Friday cleared All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) to go ahead of with its scheduled election that will elect president and vice-president on October 24.

The court had on September 30 issued a stay order to halt the election procedure responding to a writ petition filed by referee committee’s Binod KC and the football governing body’s former general secretary Lok Bahadur Shahi. The duo had filed the writ claiming that the impending election was illegitimate. The court had summoned five defendants, including Sports Minister Daljit Shripali, National Sports Council Member Secretary Keshav Bista and Anfa, on  Oct 21.

Acting Anfa president Narendra Shrestha and vice-president Karma Tshiring Sherpa are fighting for the top post in the football governing body. The regional football governing body— the Asian Football Confederation—had directed Anfa to hold elections for new president after Fifa slapped a 10-year ban on disgraced former president Ganesh Thapa for bribery and corruption.

The Anfa general assembly will also elect a new vice-president to fill the vacancy left after the demise of Lalit Krishna Shrestha, who had died over a year ago. Former national team goalkeeper/skipper Upendra Man Singh, ex-central committee member Dipak Khati and Mani Kunwar are running for vice-president post.