Indian football set for a historic first with two overseas players set to join Blue Tigers national camp: Report

The Indian football team began its preparations for its AFC Asian Cup Qualifier meeting against Bangladesh that will be taking place later this month with a preparatory camp that got underway in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The camp, however, isn’t like any other in Indian football history. The Blue Tigers training group, after all, will include two foreign-based players – 27-year-old defender Abneet Bharti and 31-year-old winger Ryan Williams.

Both Bharti and Williams are expected to join the Khalid Jamil-led camp in the next few days, with the latter still waiting for his final clearance.

Having closed its doors on overseas players in the past, Bharti and Williams’ inclusion in a national camp marks a significant shift in Indian football – one that comes after the Blue Tigers failed to qualify for the 2027 AFC Asian Cup.

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Bharti and Williams, however, are not part of the probables' list unveiled by the AIFF on Wednesday, which did not include legendary forward Sunil Chhetri.

“If they live up to the expectations in the camp, then they will travel to Dhaka for the match,” AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey was quoted by The Telegraph as saying.

Chaubey went on to reveal how the two ended up joining the Indian football camp in Bengaluru.

“We came to know about Bharti from the Indian embassy in Brazil. A very talented defender,” Chaubey continued. “We had to be patient in Williams’ case. Much credit goes to sports minister Manshuk Mandaviya and his ministry. They were of great help.”

Who are Abneet Bharti and Ryan Williams? 

Though he was born in Kathmandu, Nepal, Bharti holds an Indian passport and currently plays for Bolivian top-flight club Academia del Balompie Boliviano.

The 27-year-old had represented the Delhi-based Shastri FC early in his career before joining the youth academy of Singaporean top-flight club Geylang International FC. His football journey has taken him to various parts of the world including Poland, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina and Czech Republic.

Bharti also had a brief stint in the Indian Super League with Kerala Blasters, having represented them in the 2019-20 season.

Australian football Williams too has an Indian passport, which he received from Bengaluru FC teammate Sunil Chhetri in a light-hearted video posted on Instagram. Williams’ Indian connection comes from his mother, who was born in an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai.

The winger has made one appearance for the Australian senior men’s team in 2019 and was part of English clubs Portsmouth and Fulham among several other sides before joining Bengaluru in 2023.