The All Nepal Football Association has decided to handle ticket sales for the SAFF Championship final between Nepal and Bangladesh directly, accordring to the Kathmandu Post, after the iconic 15,000-capacity Dasharath Stadium witnessed a full house when Nepal faced regional heavyweights India in the second semi-final, a clash marred by poor officiating and chaos in the stands. (More Football News)
The match is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26, at the Dasharath Stadium, Tripureshwor at 6:15 pm IST.
The decision follows an investigation into over crowding during the recent semi-final fixture between Nepal and India on Sunday.
The alarming situation posed risks for players as well as fans. In a notice that was issued by the ANFA on Monday, it stated that it has halted ticket sales until further notice to ensure crowd management.
Mount Everest Sports and Events Pvt. Ltd, the ticketing partner of AFNA, is reportedly under investigation for overselling tickets for the Nepal-India clash.
Adding to the overcrowding controversy, play was also halted during the semi-final when Referee Om Choki disallowed the goal, and the Nepal players immediately erupted in protest, claiming that the referee had blown the whistle for play to resume before they went ahead.
Play came to a sudden halt as the Nepal players refused to accept the decision of a disallowed goal.
However, the fans have started to queue up early on Wednesday as Nepal eye their first-ever SAFF Women’s title.