Lalitpur, December 2

All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) Acting President Narendra Shrestha today asked for support from all stakeholders claiming that he took over the ANFA with consent from his Executive Committee officials, National Sports Council, AFC and FIFA.

“FIFA had instructed me to take over the ANFA before suspending President Ganesh Thapa for 10 years,” Shrestha told reporters at a press meet after chairing the first ExCo meeting.

FIFA had last month banned Thapa for 10 years and slapped a fine of $21,000 for taking money from another official during 2010 and 2012 elections of the world governing body and other charges.

“I am involved in football for a long time now and I am confident of leading the association to right direction with my experience. I will make the association more transparent following the ANFA Statute,” he said. “All I need is support from you all.”

Shrestha added he would conduct programmes according to the calendar and hoped to end the controversies through general assembly. “Disputes will not help in the development of football,” he added.

Earlier, the meeting decided to support AFC President Sheikh Salman in the FIFA Extraordinary Congress to be held on February 26. Shrestha said ANFA was bidding for the rights to host AFC U-14 Girls’ Regional Championship South/ Central 2016.

Shrestha also said that ANFA was planning to send a couple of officials to India to keep eye on players during next month’s SAFF Championship. “Although the match-fixing case is not proved yet, we are sending some officials to India to check players’ behaviour and movement,” he added.