Officials hope the highest club in China, which was established last year, can break down barriers in the mountainous region, where relations with Beijing have sometimes been strained since its "peaceful liberation" in 1951.
"In the club today, there's no discrimination. The atmosphere is great," said Tibetan player Luosang, a former gym teacher who has emerged as one of the team's leading lights.
One problem: at 3,700 metres above sea-level, altitude sickness is a constant hazard for non-Tibetans -- and is deterring Han Chinese players.
Native Tibetans have adapted over generations to the lack of oxygen at high altitudes, which can cause headaches, vomiting, insomnia, or fatigue, and makes playing sports difficult for outsiders.
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Consequently, only 10 per cent of Lhasa FC's squad are Han Chinese, although members of the ethnic group are numerous elsewhere in the regional capital, which sits on the Tibetan Plateau.
"Lhasa FC... Is a place of cultural exchange for the two communities," said Cidan, surrounded by the club's red mascots. "We want to show that Tibet can also be a place for sports," he added.
The tranquil setting belies a troubled past.
Beijing reaffirmed control over Tibet in 1951 after four decades of de facto independence for the Himalayan territory.
Since then, many ethnically Han Chinese immigrants -- the country's largest group by far -- have moved to Tibet, where they remain a minority.
In 2008, demonstrations by Tibetan monks in Lhasa degenerated into deadly violence targeting Hans before being quelled.
Many Tibetans accuse Beijing of exerting heavy control over their Buddhist religion, diluting their culture, and exploiting natural resources at the expense of the environment.