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Rohit Chand

From Alfawiki
Rohit Chand Thakuri
Born (1992-03-01) March 1, 1992 (age 34)
Birendra Nagar, Surkhet District, Nepal
OccupationProfessional footballer
Years active2008–present
Known forDefensive midfielder for Nepal national team; Best Player of Liga 1 (2018)

Rohit Chand Thakuri (; born 1 March 1992) is a professional footballer from Nepal who occupies the role of a defensive midfielder for the Nepal national team. During his adolescence, Chand garnered attention from prominent clubs such as Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Lille. In 2018, he was honored as the Best Player of the Year in Indonesia's premier competition, Liga 1, where he played a pivotal role in securing the championship for Persija Jakarta.

Early years

Originating from Dailekh, Nepal, Rohit Chand Thakuri embarked on his football journey at the age of eight, playing alongside his brother Rabin Chand Thakuri, who is a semi-professional footballer. At thirteen, he became part of the ANFA academy. A significant milestone in his career occurred during the 2008 U-16 national team tour in Iran. Remarkably, at sixteen, Chand was selected for the senior national team despite lacking experience with any club or U-19 appearances, which expedited his progression within Nepalese professional football.

Machhindra F.C.

Chand’s initial exposure to top-tier football was with Machhindra, where he distinguished himself by securing four Man of the Match accolades and anchoring a resilient defense. Serving as team captain, he earned recognition as the best defender during the 2010–11 season. That same season, Machhindra advanced to the semifinals of the British Gurkha Cup.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited SC

On 2 January 2012, after exploring prospects in Europe, Chand committed to a six-month contract with HAL. In April of that year, he achieved a hat-trick in an I-League fixture; however, despite his individual performance, HAL was defeated and subsequently relegated from the top division. Following the team's demotion, Chand’s contract was not renewed.

PSPS Pekanbaru

Rohit Chand underwent trials with the Indonesian Liga club Arema but was ultimately not selected. He later secured a 10-month contract with another Indonesian team, PSPS Pekanbaru.

Persija Jakarta

In May 2013, Chand signed a five-month contract with Persija Jakarta competing in the Indonesia Super League. During that season, he earned a nomination for the league’s Young Player of the Year award.

FC Vestsjælland

Rohit spent over six weeks training with Danish outfit FC Vestsjælland until December 2013. The club extended an offer for a six-month contract to join their reserve squad, similar to Indian goalkeeper Subrata Pal’s arrangement; however, his manager declined this and instead arranged for him to join a club in the Indonesian Super League.

T-Team

In January 2016, Chand agreed to a one-year contract with Malaysian side T-Team.

Return to Persija Jakarta

Following a short spell at Nepalese club Manang Marshyangdi, Chand rejoined Persija Jakarta on a two-year deal lasting until 2022. During this period, he captained Persija to their first league championship by winning the 2018 Liga 1 title and was honored as the Best Player of the Year. He left after the 2021–2022 season, holding the distinction of being Persija’s longest-serving Asian foreign player across his two tenures (2013–2015 and 2017–2022).

Persik Kediri

After parting ways with Persija Jakarta, Chand joined Indonesian club Persik Kediri on 22 May 2022, taking on the role of vice-captain. To date, he has appeared in 56 matches and scored three goals for Persik.

International career

Chand made his senior international debut for Nepal on 23 March 2009 at just 17 years old, becoming the youngest player to participate in a full senior tournament match—a record later surpassed by Bimal Gharti Magar. He also represented Nepal at U-17 and U-19 levels and was appointed vice-captain of the senior national team in 2015.

His inaugural international goal came on 16 November 2024 during a friendly against Afghanistan at the Respublikansky Stadion. On 9 October 2025, Chand reached his 100th cap in the course of the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers, making him Nepal’s second player to achieve this milestone following teammate Kiran Chemjong.

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Nepal 2009 6 0
2011 13 0
2012 8 0
2013 7 0
2014 4 0
2015 6 0
2017 6 0
2018 5 0
2019 9 0
2021 11 0
2022 2 0
2023 13 0
2024 4 1
2025 9 1
Total 103 2
The score column lists Nepal's goals first; scores indicate match status immediately after each Chand goal.
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 16 November 2024 Central Republican Stadium, Dushanbe, Tajikistan Template:Fb 2–0 2–0 Friendly
2. 13 November 2025 National Stadium, Dhaka, Bangladesh Template:Fb 1–0 2–2 Friendly

Honours

Persija Jakarta

Nepal

Individual

Personal life

Originating from Birendra Nagar in the Surkhet District, Chand regards Paolo Maldini as his football inspiration. Outside his professional career, he enjoys reading extensively and is a devoted pet owner, caring for his dog named Roger.

External links

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