Asian Football Confederation (AFC) on Wednesday urged the All Nepal Football Association (Anfa) to hold its Annual General Assembly (AGM) at the earliest.

Sanjeevan Balasingam, Director AFC Member Associations and International  Relations department, and Purushottam Kattel, AFC International Relation Officer, met Anfa executive committee (Exco) including acting president Narendra Shrestha and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Indra Man Tuladhar in a bid to end Anfa infighting.

It is the second time that the AFC representatives are visiting Nepal since the 10-year suspension imposed by Fifa on Anfa’s long-serving president Ganesh Thapa on November 16. Kattel had on November 23  last year met with Anfa officials and National Sports Council (NSC) Member Secretary Keshav Bista.

Fifa had suspended Thapa from all national and international football activities on bribery and corruption charges. Thapa is also under investigation by local authorities on embezzling millions of dollars meant for football development in the country. He has appealed against the ban at the Fifa Ethics Committee meaning that election issue was not raised on Wednesday.

The AFC representatives inquired on Anfa’s progress on tackling long-standing disputes with “breakaway” faction” led by Karma Tshering Sherpa. Balasingam urged the Anfa Exco to move forward by joining hands with the “breakaway group” and also amend its statute if necessary. Anfa had imposed indefinite ban on its vice presidents Sherpa, Bijay Narayan Manandhar, Kishor Rai and member Pankaj Nembang in last year for what it said “the failure to attend in three consecutive Exco meetings”. All four denied the allegations.

Tuladhar said it is not possible to work together with the “suspended group” unless they withdraw the case against them from the Patan Appellate Court. “We are ready to hold AGM with their participation but they have to pull back the case,” said Tuladhar. Anfa’s last AGM was on October 23, 2013.

Sherpa took the talk with the AFC officials as positive. “I told them that I have absolutely no problem withdrawing the case from the court,” said Sherpa. “But for that to happen, Anfa has to reinstate us first,” said Sherpa adding that their suspension was “illegal” in the first place. Balasingam and Kattel are scheduled to meet NSC boss Bista on Thursday.

Sherpa also informed that the AFC officials warned that they will be forced to form a Normalisation Committee in case the warring group fail to find “common ground”. “If that happens, a new committee sans the current Anfa Exco and ourselves will be kept out,” said Sherpa adding that the Normalisation Committee will be mandated to hold election in six months.