KATHMANDU, April 17: Former President of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA), Ganesh Thapa, has been cleared of his ban.
Thapa issued a statement on Thursday informing that the 10-year ban imposed on him by FIFA, the world’s governing body of football, has now been lifted.
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In a press statement, Thapa announced that the ban imposed on him by FIFA on April 16, 2015, officially ended on April 15, 2025.
“I would like to inform you that the ban imposed on me has been lifted. FIFA imposed the ban on April 16, 2015, and it came to an end on April 15, 2025,” he stated in the release.
Ganesh Thapa had been banned from participating in any football-related activities. Although Thapa stated that the ban began in April 2015, FIFA had officially imposed the 10-year ban in November 2015.
FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee found Thapa guilty of corruption, including accepting bribes and violating several articles of the FIFA Code of Ethics. As a result, he was handed a 10-year ban and fined 2.1 million.
Thapa, who had a notable career starting as a player and former captain of the Nepal national football team team, also held key positions such as Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), President of the South Asian Football Federation (SAFF), and chair of both the AFC Challenge Cup and President’s Cup. He also served on various FIFA committees during his tenure.
