Will Ryan Williams play in the AFC Asian Cup qualifier between Bangladesh and India?

India will take on Bangladesh in a dead rubber AFC Asian Cup 2027 qualifier at the Dhaka National Stadium on Tuesday.

Bengaluru FC striker Ryan Williams was part of the 23-man squad that traveled to Bangladesh on Saturday after giving up his Australian citizenship for an Indian passport.

He played for the side in a behind-closed-doors friendly match against Bhutan on November 13.

Will Ryan Williams play in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup qualifier between Bangladesh and India?

Ryan Williams will not play for India and will have to wait for his official debut due to delays in completing paperwork.

While he played in the friendly match against Bhutan, he required a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Football Australia for official matches, which arrived very late.

He did not obtain his NOC until November 18, meaning the team could not register him before the 11:59 PM deadline on November 17.

After the match against Bangladesh, India have only one match left in the qualifying campaign as they host Hong Kong, China on March 31 next year.

India, who have no wins in four matches in the Asian Cup qualifiers, have already been eliminated from the race to qualify for the 2027 tournament.

Published on November 18, 2025