India confirmed on matchday that Ryan Williams will not feature against Bangladesh at the National Stadium, after FIFA approval failed to arrive despite the winger receiving a no objection certificate from Football Australia earlier in the morning.
Head coach Khalid Jamil had said in yesterday’s press conference that India would wait until the last moment for the Australia born player, but that wait proved futile. According to Indian outlet RevSportz, Williams, who recently renounced his Australian citizenship to obtain an Indian passport, has secured his release from Football Australia. However, the lingering paperwork issues mean his debut in Indian colours may need to wait until the next international window.
Williams had not originally been named in Jamil’s provisional squad. He was added to the camp immediately after receiving his Indian passport and was flown to Dhaka even as doubts remained about his eligibility. As a result, instead of lining up on the pitch, he will watch from the stands or the team hotel.
The winger began his professional career in Australia with ECU Joondalup before spending nearly a decade in England with Fulham, Portsmouth, Oxford United and Rotherham United. He returned to Australia in 2022 to join Perth Glory, then signed for Bengaluru FC the following year.
