..as the first Bhutanese women club to play at AFC

Thinley Namgay   

The Royal Thimphu College (RTC) Women’s FC, which was formed less than two years in 2022, is set to be the first women’s football club from Bhutan to play at the prestigious first edition of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Women’s Champions League.   

The preliminary round for Asia’s top-tier women’s football club competition among Group D  teams will be held at the Changlimithang Stadium in Thimphu  between August 25 and 31.   

RTC Women’s FC will host two formidable competitors – Iran’s Bam Khatoon FC and Hong Kong’s (China) Kitchee SC. These two opponents have arrived in the capital. 

RTC FC will face Bam Khatoon FC on August 25 and Kitchee SC on August 28.   

The preliminary round has 13 clubs participating from countries across Asia. They are the winners of their respective national women league 2023. 

RTC FC’s head coach, Jigme, is optimistic about the upcoming matches considering the team’s consistent training for almost a year, and the performance of the team in the ongoing BoB National Women’s Football League. RTC FC is leading the league.

To strengthen the squad, RTC FC has signed four players from Bangladesh in attacking, midfield, and flank positions. “We have included new players and recently played against the Transport United Ladies in the ongoing women’s league. My team won 5-1. The presence of international players has boosted the team’s confidence,” Jigme said.

RTC FC has 14 national players. The Bangladeshi players will be featured in the first 11.

Coach Jigme said that there are only few online resources available for learning about the opponents, so he isn’t very familiar with their game tactics. However, he believes that if RTC FC plays confidently and cohesively as they usually do, they have a strong chance of defeating their opponents and advancing to the group stage. “The weather and the home spectators could also assist in boosting the morale of the players,” Coach Jigme said.

He added that RTC FC competing in the AFC Championship is a major achievement for Bhutan and reflects a positive trend in the development of women’s football in the country. “The tournament serves  as a platform  to showcase the skills of Bhutanese women footballers besides encouraging young women to pursue football.” 

RTC FC players are optimistic about their upcoming matches. 

Striker for RTC FC, Deki Lhazom, said that while she has represented Bhutan in many international games, the AFC Championship holds a special place. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with all the top women’s teams coming together,” she said.

She is confident in her team’s preparation and also believes that the home advantage will help them perform well.     

The AFC Women’s Champions League will feature 21 teams, with the top eight clubs from Japan, Australia, China, South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Chinese Taipei, and Thailand advancing directly to the group stage.

The top four teams from the preliminary round will join these eight teams, forming three groups of four teams each, competing from October 6 to 12. The quarter finals are scheduled in March, with the semifinals and the finals to follow in May.