Australian-born Ryan Williams awaits NOC after giving India chance for Asian Cup qualifiers; Bolivia-based Abneet Bharti joined for lawsuits

The Indian men’s national football team is likely to include Australian-born forward Ryan Williams in the national camp for the third round of the AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Williams, who plays for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League, has spent three seasons at the club, including a contract extension this summer, after joining in 2023.

The Perth-born forward is awaiting a no-objection certificate (NOC) from Football Australia to change his nationality and could be available for the qualifier against Bangladesh on November 18.

Williams began the process of giving up his Australian passport for an Indian one about six months ago. He has Indian roots and his maternal grandfather, Lincoln Grostate, played for the Western India Football Association in the 1950s. His twin brother Aryn also played in India between 2017 and 2019, for NEROCA in the I-League.

Williams represented the Socceroos at the U-19 and U-20 levels before earning his first and only senior call-up against South Korea in a friendly match in 2019.

Under FIFA statutes, Williams can switch nationalities because his senior appearance did not take place in a competitive match.

Williams’ inclusion in the camp could be the start of a new trend in Indian football of foreign players giving up their passports to play for India.

«We are exploring how PIO/OCI players can align themselves with the FIFA Statutes, Indian Citizenship Laws and National Sports Policy. This is an ongoing process and until we get clarity from FIFA and the Government of India, we cannot reveal any names,» All India Football Federation (AIFF) President Kalyan Chaubey had told Sports stars in an earlier interview.

Williams played much of his club football in the United Kingdom and Australia, winning the English Football League trophy with Barnsley in 2016.

At Bengaluru FC, he scored thirteen times and assisted a further five in 46 appearances, playing as an inside forward as well as a winger and partnering Sunil Chhetri in the final third.

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In the absence of Mohun Bagan Super Giant players in the camp, Williams could be an adept alternative to Manvir Singh or Liston Colaco.

Another name on the list is Abneet Bharti, a 27-year-old central defender who plays for Academia del Balompie Boliviano (ABB) in Bolivia.

In 2018 he was included in the Italian magazine Transfer market’‘s list of most promising Asian players under 22 years old. With a 185cm frame, the centre-back is a valuable option alongside Anwar Ali, while Sandesh Jhingan is now 32 years old.

Bharti grew up in two of Singapore’s youth academies – Geylang International and Balestier Khalsa – before moving to Spain with Real Valladolid. He currently plays for Academia del Balompié Boliviano in Bolivia, on loan from Czech side FK Varnsdorf.

However, Bharti will be admitted for trial, which will ultimately decide his inclusion.

The AIFF is unlikely to add more players from outside India in this window, but there are more options the Federation is looking at after the Bangladesh match. Sources, however, declined to reveal names because they concern the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

After the 2027 Asian Cup qualifying race, India will end their campaign with an away match against Bangladesh, followed by a home match against Hong Kong in March next year.

India head coach Khalid Jamil on Wednesday announced his list of likely players, excluding Bagan players and top scorer Chhetri. However, the list is subject to change if Bagan releases its players for the camp.

Published on November 6, 2025