Ganesh Thapa
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गणेश थापा | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Thapa in 2025 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 9 October 1960[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| President of the All Nepal Football Association | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 1995–2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Ganesh Thapa (Nepali: गणेश थापा; born 9 October 1960) is a Nepali former football player and a former president of the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA).[3] He was formerly the president of the South Asian Football Federation and the vice president of Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[4] He is considered one of the greatest Nepali footballers of all time.[5] He scored the first international goal for Nepal against Philippines in King’s Cup - Bangkok, Thailand in 1982.[5] He also served as Member of Parliament in Constituent Assembly of Nepal.[6]
Thapa played for East Bengal FC in the Calcutta Football League. He also played in the Dhaka First Division League for Mohammedan, Rahmatganj MFS and Dhaka Wanderers. Thapa also represented Abahani Krira Chakra at the 1981–82 Aga Khan Gold Cup.[7]
International career career
Thapa was a national football player and captain from 1979 to 1989.
Personal life
Thapa is the younger brother of politician Kamal Thapa. Thapa is married to Hajuri Thapa and has two sons, Gaurav Thapa and Abhishek Thapa.
Changes to the Nepali football made under Thapa
- Started the already stopped ANFA Martyr's Memorial A-Division League
- Created ANFA Youth Academy
- Gave special focus to youth football
- Tried to make Nepali Football League system more professional
- Development of Nepali Football
- Better facilities and rewards for players
Corruption case
Following the corruption case of Mohammed bin Hammam. British newspaper “The Sunday Times” reported that All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) president Ganesh Thapa had received £115,000 from the banned president of Asian Football Confederation and FIFA’s executive committee.[8] The Associated Press revealed that Thapa received an illegal gift of $100,000 from bin Hammam in 2009. The money was deposited into the personal bank account of Thapa's son, Gaurav Thapa.[9][10]
Thapa later claimed that he borrowed the money for his personal use, and such a revelation would not tarnish the image of Nepal and Nepali football.[9]
In November 2015 the FIFA Ethics Committee banned him for 10 years.[11][12] Thapa appealed the decision to FIFA Appeal Committee. The Appeal was rejected and his ban from FIFA Ethics Committee was partially confirmed. His ban started on 16 April 2015 and ended on 16 April 2025.[13]
In 2017, Thapa stated that as far as the corruption case was concerned, he had already received clean chit in Nepal, and that time would prove that he was innocent in relation to cases outside Nepal.[14]
