India vs Hong Kong Player Ratings: Ryan Williams, Akash Mishra impress in AFC Asian Cup Qualifier
Ryan Williams scored his first international goal in his debut match for the Indian football team.
Playing in front of a packed Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Kochi, India took to the field against Hong Kong for their last AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier. Both were already out of the reckoning and were playing for pride.
The Indian national football team started the game against Hong Kong on the frontfoot and there seemed to be attacking intent in their play. Khalid Jamil’s boys were rewarded early on for their efforts as Ryan Williams scored a goal on his international debut through a Manvir Singh pass.
In the second half, India once again scored early as Akash Mishra made the most of the melee in the box, finding the back of the net in the 51st minute. Hong Kong replied through Everton Camargo in the 66th minute but the Blue Tigers held on to pick up a 2-1 win on the night.
Here are the ratings for the Indian players that took the field against Hong Kong:
India – Player ratings
Gurpreet Singh Sandhu – 6.5/10
Ironically, Gurpreet took India’s first shot on the Hong Kong goal through a long ball early in the first half. He was not tested much in the first forty five minutes as India’s defence did their job.
He couldn’t do much about Hong Kong’s goal as Everton Camargo finished his shot to perfection. Following that, Gurpreet did make one save, but was hardly involved in the game.
Akash Mishra – 7.5/10
The left back showed attacking intent aside from his defensive duties in the first half. However, his best was saved for the second half as he took up more of the attacking responsibilities.
Akash made the most of Rahul Bheke’s long throw-in and converted from close range to score his first goal in the Indian jersey. Following his goal, he looked more pumped up. However, he suffered an ankle injury in one of his attacking forays and was eventually replaced in the 84th minute.
Rahul Bheke – 6.5/10
Playing as the centreback, Rahul made an important challenge and a decisive block in the first half to help his side. His throw-in resulted in India’s second goal as Akash Mishra made the most of the melee in the box. The BFC player had multiple quality throw-ins post the second goal that were also constant threats to the Hong Kong defence.
Sandesh Jhingan – 6/10
The centreback marshalled his troops well and also sent out a good lobbed pass to Manvir in the first half. Sandesh Jhingan was slightly out of position as Hong Kong scored their goal in the 66th minute, but he had a good game overall.
Abhishek Singh Tekcham – 7/10
Abhishek provided the decisive through ball to Manvir that eventually led to India’s first goal of the game. The right-back was involved heavily in the first half, also linking well with Lallianzuala Chhangte.
The second half saw Abhishek take on more of the defensive responsibilities as Akash Mishra was at his attacking best.
Anwar Ali – 6.5/10
The East Bengal player was given the chance to start as a defensive midfielder to everyone’s surprise. Anwar Ali seemed a bit uncomfortable in the start but slowly seemed to get better.
Anwar made a few tactical fouls in the second half to slow the game down before his night was cut short due to a groin injury.
Apuia – 6/10
Apuia made a few good interceptions in the first half and tracked back to help his defence as well. While the midfielder was not very involved in the second half, he was still holding the midfield and falling back to help his defenders.
Liston Colaco – 7/10
Liston was electric on the left wing as he attempted quite a few dribbles throughout the game. He made a solo run in the first half that wowed the crowd and his pace was not easy to manage for the opposition.
In the second half, Liston was more involved as the Mohun Bagan player took a decent freekick that tested the goalkeeper and tested the Hong Kong rightback, keeping him on his toes.
Lallianzuala Chhangte – 5.5/10
The Mumbai City captain played on the right wing and had a couple of shots in the first half, but couldn’t make it past the Hong Kong goalkeeper. In the second half, Chhangte was a bit quiet as most of the attack was from the left-hand side and he was eventually substituted in the dying minutes of the game.
Manvir Singh – 6.5/10
Manvir Singh played as a forward alongside Ryan Williams and combined well with the debutant. The Mohun Bagan player assisted Williams’ opener with a mouthwatering ball across the goal.
He also combined well with Chhangte and Ashique on a couple of occasions but his teammates were not able to find the back of the net.
Ryan Williams – 8/10
Nothing feels better than a goal on your international debut after such a long wait due to immigration clearance! Yes, Ryan Williams has already etched his name for the Blue Tigers as he scored under four minutes of his debut.
The Bengaluru FC player was lively throughout the game, dropping back to help the midfield and also going on the wings to assist his teammates. A thigh injury eventually cut his night short as he was substituted in the 69th minute.
Substitutes
Ashique Kuruniyan – 6.5/10
Coming on as a replacement to Ryan Williams, Ashique arguably played his best 20 minutes in India’s Blue Jersey. The player took five shots which were close to the goal, however he couldn’t make the most of his chances.
Jeakson Singh – 5/10
Jeakson came on as a substitute in the 69th minute. He didn’t have any highlights, however, he did his job in midfield and assisted the defenders whenever necessary.
Roshan Singh – N/A
He came on for Akash Mishra in the 84th minute but did not have a telling contribution.
Bijoy Varghese – 5.5/10
Bijoy was brought in for Chhangte in the 89th minute to bolster India’s defence and get them over the line. He made a good tackle and also made a headed clearance in the few minutes that he played.
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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.