Kathmandu: The scheduled dialogue between the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) and the Nepal Football Players Association (NFPA) failed to take place on Monday after ANFA refused NFPA’s demand to broadcast the meeting live.

ANFA had invited NFPA representatives for talks through a press release on Sunday, following a players’ protest at the football governing body’s headquarters in Satdobato on November 6. The NFPA has been demanding the resumption of the Martyrs Memorial ‘A’ Division League, which has been stalled for nearly three years.

However, NFPA boycotted the meeting after ANFA turned down their request for a live broadcast.
“We wanted transparency because this is a public matter. Everyone should know what the real issues are — anything can be agreed upon behind closed doors,” said NFPA President and former national captain Bikram Lama. “We decided to boycott the meeting after ANFA insisted it should not be made public.”

Last week, ANFA and top-tier clubs agreed not to hold the ‘A’ Division League this year, opting instead to organise a National League. ANFA’s decision to cancel the 14-team league — already endorsed by its annual general assembly — sparked outrage among players, leading to street protests.

The movement has since drawn support from Gen Z youths, former players, and coaches. After being denied entry into ANFA premises, protesting players symbolically concluded their demonstration by hanging their medals at the main gate of ANFA headquarters.