Kamal Ghorui
Ryan Williams is set to be in line for his India debut after being named in the 23-member squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2027 Qualifier against Hong Kong on March 31 in Kochi.The Australian-born forward was included after FIFA approved his change of association, allowing him to represent India at the senior level. He had earlier been part of the preparatory camp for the Bangladesh qualifier but could not make the squad due to pending paperwork.With the formalities now completed, the 31-year-old winger could feature in the upcoming match.India are already out of contention for qualification, but the team will aim to end their campaign on a positive note with a mix of experienced players and younger names.
Who is Ryan Williams?
Williams, whose mother is from an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai, will become only the second foreign-born player of Indian origin to represent the country after Arata Izumi, who played for India between 2013 and 2014.Currently with Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League (ISL), Williams gave up his Australian passport last year to be eligible for India.Born in Perth in 1993, he began his professional career in England with Portsmouth FC in 2010. He made his senior debut a year later against Middlesbrough FC and later had spells with Fulham FC and Barnsley FC.At the international level, Williams represented Australia in youth tournaments, including the AFC U-19 Championship in 2012 and the FIFA U-20 World Cup in 2013. His only senior appearance for Australia came in a 2019 friendly against South Korea, a non-competitive match that allowed him to switch allegiance under FIFA rules.Indian football team began their camp in Kochi on Tuesday, with 20 players and staff assembling. Defender Anwar Ali, midfielder Jeakson Singh Thounaojam, and forward Edmund Lalrindika are set to join later after their club commitments.“This is a good opportunity for us to build for the future,” India head coach Khalid Jamil said.“We have a lot of promising players coming through, who are currently with the U20 and U23 national teams, playing in the SAFF U20 Championship in Maldives, and the U23 Tri-Nation in Arunachal Pradesh.“Our assistant coach Mahesh is himself leading the U20s, which will help us familiarise them with the system we have in place here with the senior team.”
