Gokulam Kerala owner VC Praveen on Saturday said that the AIFF’s “inefficiency” cost the club lakhs of rupees after the national federation apologised to the team for its removal from the AFC Women’s Club Championship owing to the 11-day ban by FIFA.

Gokulam Kerala, the reigning Indian Women’s League champions, were the worst affected by the FIFA ban as they were not allowed to compete in the top-tier AFC club competition in Uzbekistan. “It is like pinching the baby and rocking the cradle. Because of their inefficiency we lost lakhs,” Praveen told PTI, hours after the ban on AIFF was lifted.