I-League: AIFF Appeals Committee dismisses SC Bengaluru’s protest against Namdhari FC

SC Bengaluru had filed a complaint against Namdhari FC for fielding Cledson Da Silva.

The All India Football Federation (AIFF)’s appeals committee has finally revealed their decision on the case involving SC Bengaluru and Namdhari FC from the I-League 2024-25 campaign.

The matter pertains to the case involving Namdhari FC player Cledson Da Silva, aka De, being used as an ineligible player during Namdhari’s 2-1 win over SC Bengaluru on 30 March (2025).

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What was SC Bengaluru’s complaint about?

The Bengaluru-based club had lodged an official complaint to the AIFF, where they alleged that Namdhari had played De in the game, even though the Brazilian ought to have been serving out a suspension.

They pointed at the Namdhari player picking up seven yellow cards of the 2024-25 campaign before Namdhari’s 3-1 win over Gokulam Kerala on 17 March (2025), with De also getting sent off against the Malabarians.

Hence, SC Bengaluru claimed that De should’ve been serving a two-match suspension for the accumulated red card and yellow cards and should’ve been suspended for the game against them.

Also Read: I-League 2024-25 Final standings after Court of Arbitration for Sport’s final verdict

What did the AIFF Appeals Committee say?

However, the AIFF appeals committee has now come up with their verdict on the matter and dismissed SC Bengaluru’s complaint, giving Namdhari FC all three points for their win.

In their verdict, the AIFF claims that Namdhari acted in ‘good faith’ and had also emailed the AIFF competitions department to verify the opportunity to play De against SC Bengaluru before the game.

In their statement on the matter, the AIFF appeals committee stated, “The abovementioned facts establish that the club acted in good faith and served the suspensions in accordance with the regulations.

However, the defendant club is warned that henceforth, the club is advised to exercise precautions by themselves while fielding a player, and this decision shall not be taken as a precedent in any of the future cases.”

They hint that the reason why Namdhari FC played De against SC Bengaluru is because there was an ongoing appeal going on regarding the Brazilian’s red card against Gokulam Kerala, which they had hoped would be overturned.

It also claimed that the reason De wasn’t in the squad for Namdhari’s final game of the 2024-25 I-League campaign against Aizawl FC, because of the committee’s decision to uphold the red card that the Brazilian picked up against Gokulam Kerala.

What is next for SC Bengaluru?

With the AIFF Appeals Committee rejecting their protest, SC Bengaluru United’s hopes of retaining their I-League status have taken a major hit. SC Bengaluru finished 11th on the table and are now staring at relegation alongside Delhi FC.

However, the AIFF Appeals Committee has granted interim relief to both Delhi FC and SC Bengaluru by pausing their demotion. Delhi FC argued that key provisions under the AIFF Disciplinary Code and constitutional protections were ignored.

The Appeals Committee acknowledged the club’s right to contest the decision and raised concerns over the lack of precedent and due process, especially given AIFF’s history of waiving relegation under special circumstances. The matter is set for further hearing, giving both clubs a fighting chance to retain their place in the I-League.

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