​I-League: Another twist in title race as AIFF appeals committee offers respite to Namdhari

Panaji: The appeals committee of the All India Football Federation (AIFF) has kept in abeyance the order of the disciplinary committee which had adjudged that Namdhari FC fielded an ineligible player against Inter Kashi in the I-League clash on Jan 13, 2025.
Namdhari had won the home clash 2-0 with Bhupinder Singh and Francis Addo scoring for the hosts at the Sri Bhaini Sahib stadium. Kashi, however, lodged a protest claiming that Namdhari’s Brazilian forward Cledson Carvalho da Silva was ineligible since he had picked up four yellow cards prior to the game and should have been suspended.
The disciplinary committee found merit in Inter Kashi’s protest and docked three points off Namdhari for fielding an ineligible player. Since the match was considered a forfeiture (0-3 loss) for Namdhari, Inter Kashi benefitted with three additional points, a massive help in their title race with two-time former champions Churchill Brothers.
Namdhari, however, appealed the decision before the AIFF’s appeals committee, claiming that the “AIFF CMS portal did not show the player was banned for the game against Inter Kashi, and therefore the player was fielded for the game, keeping in mind the express permission to participate in the game given by appeals committee.”
Interestingly, Cledson, Namdhari’s suspended Brazilian forward, had also appealed the decision to hand him a three-match ban by the disciplinary committee after he picked up a red card against Real Kashmir on Dec 15, 2024. The player said he was not given a chance to file a reply and the three-game ban order was passed without giving proper opportunity to the appellant.
“Prima facie, we find that it was case of lack of opportunity to the person who has been suspended for three matches and also hurried steps were taken without giving opportunity to the appellant for filing the reply,” the appeals committee said in its previous order on Jan 6, 2025.
The appeals committee in a separate order has now said that the order of the disciplinary committee dated Feb 24, 2025 – which gave three points to Inter Kashi -- shall remain “inoperative and in abeyance” till the conclusion of the hearing of the present case.
“The AIFF appeal committee has stayed the forfeiture decision taken by the AIFF disciplinary committee on the I-League match between Namdhari and Inter Kashi wherein a 3-0 win was handed out to Inter Kashi, as Namdhari were deemed to have fielded an ineligible player. A final decision on this matter is yet to be taken by the AIFF appeal committee,” the AIFF said in a statement on Thursday.
The next hearing of the appeal has been scheduled for April 28, long after the concluding match of the I-League would have been played.
The latest communique from the AIFF means Inter Kashi are now left with 35 points, three behind league leaders Churchill who have 38 points in their kitty. With just two rounds left to be played, the two teams face each other at the Panchayat ground in Raia on Sunday with the winner taking a massive step towards the I-League title.
Churchill won the away clash 3-1 giving them a head-to-head advantage.
Third-placed Real Kashmir, who face Dempo SC at Fatorda on Saturday, also have 35 points and face Churchill in the concluding league clash at home. Former champions Gokulam Kerala are also in the fray with 34 points but will need teams above them to drop points.