Yeshi Dorji (born 10 October 2001) is a Bhutanese professional footballer, currently playing for Paro in the Bhutan Premier League and the Bhutan national team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Yeshi Dorji | ||
| Date of birth | 10 October 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Thimphu, Bhutan | ||
| Height | 1.69 m (5 ft 6+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Paro | ||
| Number | 11 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2014–2017 | Druk Stars | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2018–2020 | Ugyen Academy | ||
| 2020– | Paro | 31 | (36) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2019 | Bhutan U18 | 4 | (0) |
| 2019–2021 | Bhutan U20 | 6 | (2) |
| 2019– | Bhutan U23 | 5 | (1) |
| 2019– | Bhutan | 4 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 June 2023 | |||
Club career
editYeshi represented High Quality United during their 2020 Bhutan Super League triumph and received Nu 10,000 for being the highest goal scorer. He joined Paro FC for the Premier League phase and scored 8 goals in 10 games. Yeshi won the 2021 Bhutan Premier League with Paro and received the Bhutan Premier League Top Scorer Award along the way with 23 goals from 17 games.[2]
In January 2020, Yeshi signed a contract with a German football agency, TF Sports, and had a successful trial with VfB Fichte Bielefeld in the Landesliga Westfalen (VII) (Germany sixth division). He was about to become the first Bhutanese to play in Europe but had to return home because of a visa issue and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in Bhutan. In 2021, he received an offer to play on trial in the Cypriot Second Division, but eventually turned it down due to the travel cost.[3]
International career
editAt the 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualifiers, Yeshi scored as Bhutan snatched a surprising 2–1 victory over Bangladesh. He scored against Nepal in the 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship, as Bhutan trashed the hosts 3–0. Yeshi was one of the key players in the 2019 South Asian Games in Nepal where Bhutan won the silver medal. During the tournament he struck a goal against Sri Lanka in a 3–1 victory.[4]
He made his first appearance for the Bhutan national team in 2019 against Guam during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, and became the only footballer in the country to play all youth levels and make his senior national team debut in only 149 days.[3]
Career statistics
editInternational
edit- As of 28 March 2023.[5]
| Bhutan | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2023 | 2 | 0 |
| Total | 3 | 0 |
Youth international goals
editScores and results list Bhutan's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 22 September 2019 | APF Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal |  Nepal |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2019 SAFF U-18 Championship |
| 2. | 10 November 2019 | Khalifa Sports City Stadium, Manama, Bahrain |  Bangladesh |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2020 AFC U-19 Championship qualification |
| 3. | 7 December 2019 | Dasarath Rangasala Stadium, Kathmandu, Nepal |  Sri Lanka |
3–0 | 3–0 | 2019 South Asian Games |
| Last updated 30 March 2023 | ||||||
References
edit- ^ "Yeshi Dorji - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ "Paro FC are champions". Kuensel Online. Archived from the original on 25 May 2023. Retrieved 25 May 2023.
- ^ a b "A rising national football player". Kuensel Online. Archived from the original on 25 June 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.
- ^ Pokhrel, Nishant (23 September 2019). "Bhutan stun Nepal, enter semi-finals". The Himalayan Times. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
- ^ Strack-Zimmermann, Benjamin. "Yeshi Dorji II (Player)". www.national-football-teams.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2022.