Bhutan national football team

Infobox National football team
Name = Bhutan
Badge = Bhutan FA.png FIFA Trigramme = BHU
FIFA Rank = 187
1st ranking date = August 2000
FIFA max = 187
FIFA max date = December 2003, September 2008
FIFA min = 202
FIFA min date = May 2001
Elo Rank = 217
Nickname = Bhutan Eleven
Association = Bhutan Football Federation
Confederation = AFC (Asia)
Coach = flagicon|JPN Koji Gyotoku
Most caps =
Top scorer =
Home Stadium = Changlimithang Stadium
pattern_la1=_redlines|pattern_b1=_whiterightsash|pattern_ra1=_redlines
leftarm1=FED600|body1=FED600|rightarm1=FED600|shorts1=FE231A|socks1=FED600
pattern_la2=_yellowshoulders|pattern_b2=_thinyellowsides|pattern_ra2=_yellowshoulders
leftarm2=FF0000|body2=FF0000|rightarm2=FF0000|shorts2=FF0000|socks2=FFFFFF
First game = Flagicon|Nepal Nepal 3-1 Bhutan Flagicon|Bhutan (Kathmandu, Nepal; 1 April, 1982)
Largest win = Flagicon|Bhutan Bhutan 6 - 0 Guam Flagicon|Guam (Thimphu, Bhutan; April 23, 2003)
Largest loss = Flagicon|Kuwait Kuwait 20 - 0 Bhutan Flagicon|Bhutan (Kuwait City, Kuwait; February 14, 2000)
World cup apps =
World cup first =
World cup best =
Regional name = AFC Asian Cup
Regional cup apps =
Regional cup first =
Regional cup best =
2ndRegional name = South Asian Football Federation Cup
2ndRegional cup apps = 3
2ndRegional cup first = 2003
2ndRegional cup best = Semi Final, 2008The Bhutan national football team is the national team of Bhutan and is controlled by the Bhutan Football Federation. While a Bhutanese National football team existed since the 1970s it was officially founded in 1983 and joined FIFA in the year 2000.

On June 30, 2002, the day of the final match of the 2002 World Cup, Bhutan, then the second-lowest ranked team in the world, recorded their first victory ever. They played against the lowest ranked team, Montserrat, in a friendly match known jokingly as The Other Final, winning 4-0 at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu, the capital of Bhutan. "The Other Final" was organised by Dutch filmmakers.

Prior to the 2010 World Cup [cite news|title=2010 FIFA World Cup tournament regulations|url=http://fifa.com/worldcup/regulations/index.html] , they were the only FIFA member not to have attempted to qualify for the World Cup. Bhutan withdrew from the 2010 World Cup because their stadium would not be ready in time for their matches vs. Kuwait.

Recently the team saw action in the 2008 South Asian Football Federation Cup tournament, reaching the Semifinals, where they lost to India (2 - 1) during stoppage time of overtime [cite news|title=2008 SAFF Cup tournament |url=http://www.rsssf.com/tabless/saffgold08.html] .

With improving facilities and a growing enthusiasm among the younger generations, the future of football in this tiny Himalayan Kingdom looks bright.

World Cup record

*1930 to 2006 - "Did not enter"
*2010 - "Withdrew"

Asian Cup record

* 1956 to 1996 - "Did not enter"
* 2000 - "Did not qualify"
* 2004 - "Did not qualify"
* 2007 - "Did not enter"

outh Asian Football Federation Cup record

* 1993 to 1999 - "Did not enter"
* 2003 to 2005 - Eliminated at group stage
* 2008 - Semi Finalists

AFC Challenge Cup record

*2006 - Round 1
*2008 - Did not qualify, 3rd in qualifying group

Notable Manager

*flagicon|KOR Khang Byung-Chan April 2000-May 2002
*flagicon|KOR Yoo Kee-Heung

Current squad

(May, 2007)Goalkeepers:


Puspalal Sharma

Jigme Singay

tshering Chophel

Defenders:


Chengho Chengho

Pasang Tshering

Irishna Subba

Karma Yeshey

Sonam Tenzin

Thinlay Phuntsho

Nangze Dorji

Sonam Norbu

Bhim Kumar Chhetri

Midfielders:


Pema Chophel

Kinlay Dorji

Sonam Jamtsho

Cheni Yangdel

Nawang Dendup

Ugyen Dorji

Pema Pema

Sonam Tobgay

Wangchuk Oh

Forwards:


Wangay Dorji

Yeshey Gyeltshen

Bikash Pradhan

Dorji Khandu

Hem Bahadur Tamang

Dinesh Chhetri

Yeshey Nedup

Nobin Gurung

References