With the highest number of foreign players registered so far, the BOB Bhutan Premier League this season is expected to be much more competitive as well as entertaining. More than twenty foreign players are participating in the country’s top football league this year.
Thimphu Raven FC and Namlha FC have registered the highest number of foreign players. Both teams have five international football players each.
There are four foreign players at Paro FC and Thimphu City FC. Meanwhile, Druk Lhayul has three foreigners and Transport United has two.
As per the Bhutan Football Federation, each football club can register a maximum of five foreign players. Only four foreigners can be fielded at a time in a match.
Among them, the majority of foreigners are forwards. Nine are strikers, while there are six midfielders, five are defenders and three are goalkeepers.
According to the football clubs, the objective of recruiting foreign players is to improve the standard of Bhutanese football and make it more competitive.
“One of the reasons why we bring foreign players is to develop the game. So, in order to develop the game, we need to improve the standard. Nevertheless, their presence here generates a lot of excitement among the fans which in turn helps to promote the game,” said Hishey Tshering, President of Thimphu City FC.
“Our main objective of bringing five players is to make the team strong and challenge the bigger clubs like Paro FC and Thimphu City FC. We are happy to see these foreign players play in our club and we are going to make a change,” said Yad Bhadur Ghalley, Manager of Thimphu Raven FC.
“I came here purposefully to improve Bhutan football and also to help the team qualify. Now my achievement is to help them to remain in the Bhutan Premier League and after BPL if any club have interest in me I can play for that club also because I like Bhutan,” said Anthony Amoh, Player of Thimphu Raven FC.
According to some of the clubs, foreign players get paid around 800 to 2000 US dollars per month depending on their experience and skills.
Meanwhile, Paro FC is currently at the top of the league table on goal difference, ahead of Transport United FC. Paro FC’s Japanese striker, Kazuo Homma, is leading the goalscoring sheets with eight goals.
Ugyen Dorji
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
