Thursday, Oct 01, 2026 00:00 [IST]
Last Update: Wednesday, Sep 30, 2026 18:19 [IST]
GANGTOK,: The 42nd Governor’s Gold Cup, Sikkim’s showpiece annual football tournament, will kick off at Paljor Stadium here on October 5, with the notable absence of clubs from neighbouring Nepal this year.
The absence of the traditionally popular Nepalese sides is expected to be felt among local football fans, but the organisers, Sikkim Football Association (SFA), are confident that the tournament will offer plenty of quality and entertaining football, with prominent Northeast-based clubs such as Shillong Lajong FC and Northeast United FC among the contenders.
Addressing a press meet here on Wednesday, SFA president Menla Ethanpa and general secretary Phurba Sherpa said the tournament would begin on October 5, which coincides with the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister Late Nar Bahadur Bhandari.
A tribute function in honour of Late Bhandari will be held at the stadium before the inaugural match. Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang and other dignitaries will pay tribute to his portrait, following which the Chief Minister will declare the tournament open. Two matches are scheduled on the opening day.
A total of 14 teams will take part in the tournament, which will conclude on October 16. The prominent teams include Shillong Lajong FC, Northeast United FC, Gokulam FC Kerala, Sudeva FC Delhi, Odisha XI, Assam Oil and the reserve team of East Bengal FC. GTA XI will represent the neighbouring Darjeeling region.
On the absence of Nepalese clubs, the SFA officials said All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is currently under a FIFA ban, which prevents Nepalese teams, including the national team, from participating in FIFA-accredited tournaments.
Since the Governor’s Gold Cup is accredited by the All India Football Federation (AIFF) under FIFA, teams from Nepal cannot participate until the ban is lifted, the SFA officials said.
“ANFA is banned by FIFA and since Governor’s Gold Cup is also a registered tournament, we cannot invite Nepal clubs as the ban is still prevailing. It is unfortunate that we won’t have Nepal clubs in this edition as they are crowd favourites but we assure to the people that there will be quality and entertaining matches since top clubs like Northeast United FC, Shillong Lajong FC and Gokulam FC Kerala are coming to play,” said the SFA president.
The officials clarified that the ban applies to Nepalese national teams and clubs, while Nepalese footballers are allowed to play for clubs participating in the Governor’s Gold Cup.
At the same time, existing AIFF rules will apply to participating clubs, under which a team can field a maximum of four foreign players.
Clubs from Nepal have traditionally been a major crowd-puller at the Governor’s Gold Cup and have won the tournament multiple times in the past.
Four teams from Sikkim will feature in this year’s tournament - two top teams each from the Sikkim Premier League and the SFA A Division S-League.
Two Sikkim Premier League teams, Singling FC and Thunderbolt North United FC, have already secured their places. The remaining two berths, under the SFA A Division S-League quota, will be decided on October 1 following the conclusion of the final league match.
Three teams - Sikkim Aakraman, Sikkim Police and Sikkim Brotherhood FC - remain in contention, with only a marginal difference separating them in the league table.
The final league match between Sikkim Brotherhood FC and Sikkim Police will determine the top two teams in the A Division League and, consequently, the two teams that will earn berths in the upcoming Governor’s Gold Cup.
Defending champions Rajasthan United FC will not feature in this edition as they are currently engaged in building a squad for the new I-League season.
All matches of the tournament will be played at Paljor Stadium.
Pic: SFA officials unveiling the Governor’s Gold Cup winners’ trophy. SE Pic
Why Nepal Clubs Are Not Playing
FIFA ban on ANFA: Nepalese clubs are missing from the 42nd Governor’s Gold Cup because the All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) is currently under a FIFA ban.
What does the ban mean? The ban prevents Nepalese national teams and clubs from participating in FIFA-accredited competitions, according to the Sikkim Football Association (SFA).
Why does it affect the Governor’s Gold Cup? The Governor’s Gold Cup is an All India Football Federation (AIFF)-accredited tournament under FIFA. As a result, Nepalese clubs cannot be invited to participate while the ban remains in force.
What about Nepalese players? The restriction does not prevent individual Nepalese footballers from playing for clubs participating in the tournament.
Foreign-player rule: Participating clubs are subject to AIFF regulations, under which a team can field a maximum of four foreign players.
A notable absence: Nepalese clubs have traditionally been among the crowd favourites at the Governor’s Gold Cup and have won the tournament several times in the past.
