India 2-1 Hong Kong: Three players who changed the game for Blue Tigers in AFC Asian Cup qualifier
Ryan Williams’ debut will be remembered for years to come!
The Indian national football team lined up had an underwhelming AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier campaign. Having lost three of their five games, the Blue Tigers were destined for the last spot in their group ahead of their match against Hong Kong in Kochi.
India’s opponents were also out of contention as Singapore had already won the group. However, both teams were playing for pride, and the Blue Tigers especially wanted to end their campaign with at least one win.
The stage was set as the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi hosted an international game after a decade. The atmosphere was top notch, as expected in the football crazy state, and Khalid Jamil’s men didn’t disappoint as they scored early through the debutant Ryan Williams.
Leading 1-0 at the break, India started the second half with the same hunger and soon found their second goal as well through Akash Mishra. Though Hong Kong got a goal back, the Blue Tigers held on, eventually coming out as 2-1 victors at full time.
While everyone put in the blue jersey put on a respectable performance, here are the three players that stood out for the Indian football team:
Ryan Williams (Forward)
No one would have thought of seeing Ryan Williams in an Indian jersey 2-3 years ago. The footballer had represented the Australian football team in the junior levels, and though Ryan had Indian roots, the nation had very strict rules when it came to OCI/POI players.
However, last year Ryan Williams finally got clearance, and that meant that India finally had a replacement for the now-retired Sunil Chhetri. The Bengaluru FC player was slated to make his debut last year. However, with formalities still going on, his debut was delayed.
However, the wait was well worth it for the player. Under four minutes into his debut for the Indian team, Ryan Williams scored for his adopted nation, finishing off a counterattack that was orchestrated by Abhishek Singh Tekcham and Manvir Singh.
Ryan was a constant threat throughout the first half. The player kept dropping down to help his midfield and was also seen switching on to the wings to cause chaos amongst the Hong Kong backline.
However, as fate would have it, the debutant got injured in the 69th minute and had to be removed from the game after he looked to have had some discomfort in his thigh.
Akash Mishra (Leftback)
Before the game, there was a lot of talk regarding the left back position. Though Roshan Singh Naorem was the expected starter, Khalid Jamil decided to start Akash Mishra and this decision proved to be vital for the Indian football team.
Akash was on-song throughout the game. The left-back showed attacking intent from the get go as he attempted attacking runs and looked to create chances for his team in the first half.
Though his performance in the first forty five minutes was decent, Akash Mishra was just getting started as he had saved his best for the second half. With India attacking more from the left-hand side after the break, the Mumbai City player came to life.
Rahul Bheke’s long throw-in created a melee in the box in the 51st minute and Akash made the most of it. The 24-year-old finished from an acute angle to get India’s second goal of the game and his first game in the Indian jersey.
However, he didn’t stop there, making even more runs now that his confidence was boosted. He eventually suffered an injury in the latter part of the game in one of his attacking runs down the wing and though he tried to continue, Akash was taken off in the 84th minute.
Abhishek Singh Tekcham (Rightback)
The third spot was a toss up between Manvir Singh, Liston Colaco, and Abhishek Singh. All three players performed well in the game. But Abhishek Singh’s performance was extra special as he also had to take care of his defensive duties.
Abhishek Singh’s through ball in the fourth minute changed the course of the match for India. His pass was capitalised properly by Manvir Singh, who in-turn would go on to assist Ryan Williams.
The 21-year-old ran the show down the right-wing in the first half, combining well with Lallianzuala Chhangte and the other midfielders. While his attacking responsibilities were minimal in the second half, Abhishek was still involved defensively and helped his team get the 2-1 win over Hong Kong.
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Aasif, a football fan turned writer, has been writing about the sport since 2020. Based in Chennai, it is no surprise that love for Chennaiyin FC runs in his blood. Apart from Indian football, Aasif has also written and edited articles extensively about European football.