30 October, Kathmandu. The fourth edition of the Nepal Super League (NSL) was announced with great fanfare on 3rd June. The organizer Nepal Sports and Event Management (NSEM) had announced to conduct the competition with a new modality from 20 August. However, the league could not be held on the announced date. Even then, it is not clear when the league will be held.

While the future of NSL is in doubt, another football league was announced in Nepal on Friday. Nepal Football League Private Limited has announced to organize the first edition of Nepal Football League (NFL) from February 1.

The teams that will participate in the new league announced through the press conference and the faces seen in its management are not new to Nepali football. Representatives of seven teams that are preparing to participate in the NSL attended the NFL announcement event. Along with the preparations to start a new league in Nepali football, it has also raised questions about the future of the old league.

New league amid NSL confusion

NSEM announced the fourth edition of the NSL within two days of the lifting of the ANFA suspension by the National Sports Council (Rakhep). Education and Sports Minister Sasmit Pokharel was also present during the announcement. He promised to support the government for conducting the competition. To some extent, NSL had mentioned that it will take Nepali football to a new height.

On the other hand, the date of NSL was announced with an ambitious plan to run the league in a new modality, home and away double round robin system. However, the activities of Nepali football were affected after the International Football Federation (FIFA) was suspended on June 11 before the preparations for the NSL started. Which has confused many domestic competitions and international participation including NSL.

From the outside it looks like NSL has been affected by the suspension of ANFA, but the inside story is different. Franchise teams do not agree with the NSL organizers.

The organizer of NSL is Nepal Sports and Event Management (NSEM), an organization under Chaudhary Group. Its president is Ashrayta Karki Chaudhary, wife of Nirvana Chaudhary.

In the NSL announcement program of the fourth season, it was said that a new model of revenue sharing between the organizers and the clubs would be introduced. But after the organizers and the clubs did not agree on the percentage of revenue, there was dissatisfaction of the franchise clubs with NSEM.

Although the Minister of Education and Sports of the Government of Nepal announced the NSL season 4, there was no agreement between the organizers and the clubs and the Nepal Football League (NFL) was born.

And Kalyan Gurung has become the president of Nepal Football League in Bhatbhateni Group, which owns Lalitpur City FC, the champion team of the last two editions of NSL.

The NFL hosts itself, plays itself

The people who were previously associated with the NSL are preparing for the new league. The future of the NSL was pushed into confusion even as the representatives of the seven teams that were preparing to participate participated in the announcement of the NFL. Among the seven teams, Lalitpur City FC head Kalyan Gurung is the head of the NFL competition. Raju Ghising, who is in the role of managing director in NSL, has become the commissioner in NFL. Representatives of other teams have also said that they are owners in the NFL.

They could not give a clear answer about the non-operation of NSL. NFL commissioner Ghising doesn't want to dwell on old issues. He says that the NFL was brought to move forward with new thinking, new methods and new structures. We don't want to rehash old things. "The NFL has come up with a new way, a new way and a new structure to move forward," he said.

Although there are similarities between the people involved in the NSL and the NFL, the organizers have argued that they are trying to advance the new league with a different structure. However, while claiming a new structure and thinking, the question of why the previously announced NSL could not be operational could not be answered clearly. ANFA is currently under suspension from FIFA. Ghising said that there is a plan to run the league whether the suspension on ANFA is lifted or not. He said, "This is for domestic football rather than international football. Whether the suspension of ANFA is lifted or not, the league will move forward.

Gurung, head of the tournament, says that the main objective of the organizers is to conduct the domestic tournament when the regular activities of Nepali football are affected due to the suspension of FIFA. He argues that in a situation where football activity has come to a standstill due to the suspension of FIFA, players and clubs should be kept active by organizing domestic competitions.

According to the head of the competition, Gurung, this is a league run by the private sector. The teams participating in the competition will remain as its shareholders. The organizers are preparing to run the league for up to 4 women on home and away basis. However, the format, management and operation of the competition has not been disclosed.

Jhapa FC chief Arpan Khadka says that he changed his path after trying out with NSL. I am not trying to move forward by boycotting anyone. "We have moved forward after trying hard," he says.

They are not in favor of playing NSL anymore. Do you play NSL now? On the question, Arpan said, "One cannot put a foot in two boats." As we ourselves are the owners of the NFL, our priority is the NFL.

The NFL is a league made up of the same teams that play in the NSL. At a glance, it looks like self-organized play. But NFL President Kalyan Gurung informed that the league will be run by forming an independent committee for the NFL.

We have united in the NFL with the plan to give domestic football a new height under the leadership of the clubs. Nepal Football League is a joint organization of clubs. Therefore, the NFL will organize the tournament. And the clubs will continue to play in the NFL as members of the league. A separate independent committee will be formed to conduct the competition in an impartial manner. It is mentioned in the statement signed by Gurung at the NFL announcement program.