MMC is facing a players´ crunch for the tournament as seven players of the club are in the closed camp training for the SAFF Championship and 13 of the 25 players who played for the club during the Martyrs Memorial League are no more associated with the club.[break]
"MMC on Monday submitted an application requesting ANFA to release its seven players for the Safal Cup," MMC President Tashi Ghale told Republica, adding, "Either our players should be released for the Safal Cup or we must be permitted to field unregistered players including foreigners in the tournament. Otherwise, we won´t play in the national league."
ANFA has earlier decided not to release the national players undergoing closed camp training for the SAFF Championship for the Safal Cup.
According to an ANFA source, decision regarding MMC´s application will be taken on Sunday.
Talking to Republica, Kaski District Football Association President and coordinator of the tournament organizing committee Khem Bahadur Gurung said MMC could field players from other Nepali clubs that are not participating in the Safal Cup. He said, "A meeting of the top flight clubs will be held on Sunday at ANFA and it will take decision on whether or not to allow unregistered players. They should also come under the regulation of National Sports Council."
MMC President Ghale threatened to stop the payment of players if they were not released by ANFA. He also suggested to ANFA to conduct closed camp training for the national team in Pokhara and release players for their respective club matches. "There is still about a month left for the SAFF Championship and releasing player for the Safal Cup won´t do much harm."
Ghale also slammed ANFA for not releasing the club´s players for a meeting called on Wednesday. "We had called players for a meeting today (Wednesday), but ANFA didn´t release them," Ghale said, adding, "We are paying handsome salary to players, but there´s no use of paying them if we can´t field them in tournaments. We can´t pay them 12-month salary for a league that runs for three months only."
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