In a surprising move, the All India Football Federation has included two new faces, defender Abneet Bharti and winger Ryan Williams, in the national team camp ahead of India’s AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Bangladesh in Dhaka on November 18. The training camp begins in Bengaluru on Thursday.
The decision marks a bold step by the federation, bringing in players with overseas experience as part of a fresh team-building approach under national coach Khalid Jamil.
Bharti, 27, currently plays for Academia del Balompie Boliviano (ABB) in Bolivia’s top division and holds an Indian passport. Williams, 31, who features for Bengaluru FC in the Indian Super League, recently obtained Indian citizenship through his mother, who hails from an Anglo-Indian family in Mumbai.
“If they live up to expectations in the camp, then they will travel to Dhaka for the match,” said AIFF president Kalyan Chaubey to The Telegraph.
Interestingly, neither Bharti nor Williams featured in the initial list of probables announced earlier in the day. Chaubey explained that Bharti came to the AIFF’s attention through the Indian embassy in Brazil, describing him as “a very talented defender.”
On Williams’ case, Chaubey credited the Union Sports Ministry for facilitating the process. “We had to be patient in Williams’ case. Much credit goes to Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and his ministry. They were of great help,” he said.
Williams’ journey to Indian eligibility has been a long one. It was Sunil Chhetri, his Bengaluru FC teammate, who first brought the winger’s interest in representing India to Chaubey’s notice. “From then on, we were working on that. It took around six months to complete the formalities,” the AIFF president added.
This publication had earlier reported, on May 22, about Williams’ intent to obtain Indian citizenship. The winger, who made a brief appearance for Australia’s national team in a 2019 friendly against South Korea, has played for English clubs Fulham and Portsmouth before joining Bengaluru FC in 2023.
Bharti’s career has been that of a globe-trotter. Having started with Shastri FC in New Delhi, he trained at Geylang International’s academy in Singapore and later played in Poland, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina, the Czech Republic, and Bolivia. He also had a short stint in the ISL with Kerala Blasters.
With India already out of contention for a spot in the 2027 AFC Asian Cup finals after a home defeat to Singapore last month, the AIFF’s decision signals a shift towards rebuilding for the future. At 32, Sandesh Jhingan remains the mainstay in defence but needs a long-term partner — a role Bharti could potentially fill.
Meanwhile, Khalid Jamil’s side has struggled for attacking edge, and the inclusion of a versatile winger like Williams could add the much-needed spark in the final third.
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