ANFA Faces Fresh Crisis as Foreign Coaches Quit Midway

Kathmandu, Oct 31

The All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is once again mired in controversy after two UEFA Pro License coaches, Patrick De Wilde and Matt Ross, resigned before completing their one-year terms, citing frustration over poor management and internal politics.

De Wilde’s Early Exit Highlights Mismanagement

Belgian coach Patrick De Wilde, appointed as head coach of the Nepali women’s national team on June 5, expressed doubts about his role from day one. Shocked by the players’ substandard accommodation and the lack of professionalism, he questioned ANFA’s priorities.

“I said, let’s all stay in one hotel. They said they could arrange a 3-star. I asked for at least a 4-star, and their faces already showed ‘Difficult coach,’” De Wilde told The Kathmandu Post after returning home.

Despite raising valid concerns about team logistics and structure, ANFA demanded a written clarification instead of resolving issues. Frustrated, De Wilde resigned in early July from Belgium barely a month into his tenure.

ANFA, however, kept his resignation undisclosed for months before quietly appointing Nabin Neupane as head coach on September 25, ahead of the 2026 SAFF Women’s Championship.

Pattern Repeats: Ross Resigns from Germany

Australian coach Matt Ross, who had signed a one-year contract on March 2 to lead the men’s national team, followed the same path.

According to ANFA General Secretary Kiran Rai, Ross’s resignation arrived via WhatsApp on October 28. Insiders claim ANFA had intended to withhold the information until it became public.

With Ross gone, Hari Khadka, ANFA’s Technical Director and former national striker, will temporarily lead the team in upcoming fixtures including the friendly against Bangladesh on November 13, and the AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers against Malaysia (Nov 18) and Laos (Mar 31, 2026).

Echoes of Abdullah Al Mutairi’s Departure

The situation mirrors the 2022 resignation of former men’s coach Abdullah Al Mutairi, who accused ANFA of political interference. Now coaching Sri Lanka, Al Mutairi recently commented,

“In Nepal, they said if they remove me, they will do better. After they removed me, four years, they never win.”

Such repeated walkouts by high-profile coaches point to systemic dysfunction within Nepali football management where politics often overshadows performance.

Loss of Credibility and International Concern

During the FIFA Football for Schools (F4S) program inauguration in August, FIFA delegates reportedly sought to meet De Wilde, unaware he had already resigned. “They were astonished Nepal had hired such a qualified coach and shocked he had already quit,” said an ANFA official.

Both De Wilde and Ross were chosen from hundreds of international applicants for their experience and willingness to work under limited budgets. Their early departures now cast a shadow over ANFA’s reputation.

Next Steps for ANFA

ANFA spokesperson Suresh Shah confirmed that the association will soon open applications for both men’s and women’s team coaches.

However, experts warn that the repeated resignations of foreign professionals could make it increasingly difficult for ANFA to attract qualified candidates in the future.

For many, these incidents underscore a painful truth Nepali football’s biggest opponent may not be its rivals on the field, but the politics within its own walls.