KATHMANDU, Feb 13: All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is set to enforce AFC Club Licensing for the first division clubs from this year as per the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) provisions. Though the licensing provision will be implemented from the current year, it will be made compulsory only from 2018 according to ANFA's CEO Indraman Tuladhar.
As per the AFC provisions Nepali first division clubs will have to meet certain requirements including having home playing field, AFC A license holder head coach, youth teams, medical team, training facilities, written contract of the players and youth development program. Similarly, club secretariat, finance officer, media officer, legal entity, ownership control are other criteria clubs need to meet.
ANFA kicks off AFC ‘A’ Coaching Course
Currently there are 16 AFC A license holder coaches in the country.
Meanwhile, ANFA organized interaction session with the A division clubs representatives over licensing provision in the presence of AFC Head of Club Licensing, Mahajan Vasudevan Nair on Sunday at ANFA Complex Satdobato.
In the interaction, the possibilities and challenges regarding the club licensing were discussed among the clubs' representatives, ANFA officials and Nair. All the clubs participated in the meeting and agreed to work with ANFA and AFC in order to implement the licensing. The AFC will guide the clubs and ANFA through the AFC Club Licensing during the implementation phase.
As most of the Nepali first division clubs do not have their own playing field, one playing field can be shared by three or more clubs according to CEO Tuladhar. “Given the poor infrastructures of the developing members of AFC, Asian football governing body has made different provision to such nations than other developed nations,” said Tuladhar, “So as per the provision, Nepali clubs can share one playing field among three to four clubs,” Clubs also can show the futsal pitch size of 40X20 yards as their training field according to the ANFA.
It also informed that clubs failing to implement license until 2018 will not be able to participate in the AFC club tournaments.
