Kathmandu, June 10 -- All Nepal Football Association's Pankaj Bikram Nembang and General Secretary Kiran Rai had no trouble entering the International Terminal of the Tribhuvan International Airport on Monday night. They were travelling to Mexico, with a transit in Istanbul, Turkey, for the inaugural match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Without further issue, Nembang and Rai had the boarding pass in their hands. But they could not board the flight to Istanbul.

"When their passports were checked, it was found they were kept under watch by the Department of Immigration," said Anuj Bhandari, information officer at the TIA Immigration Office. "As a result, they were denied entry."

Talking to the Post over the phone after office hours, Bhandar...