Lagatar24 desk
New Delhi, Aug 19: Young gun Manisha Kalyan has become the first footballer from India to play at the UEFA Women’s Champions League after making her debut for Apollon Ladies FC in the European Club competition in Engomi, Cyprus.
Kalyan replaced Marilena Georgiou in the 60th minute at the Makareio Stadium, as Apollon Ladies FC beat Latvian top flight club SFK Riga 3-0 in their UWCL opener on Thursday.
Manisha Kalyan makes her UEFA Champions League qualifying stage debut. She becomes the first Indian to play in this level of European football. #IndianFootball pic.twitter.com/mgPYEdWeiM
— VOIF (@VoiceofIndianF1) August 18, 2022
When the 20-year-old signed a multi-year contract with Cypriot first division champion Apollon Ladies, she became the fourth Indian women’s international football player to sign for an overseas club.
For the national team and Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women’s League (IWL), Kalyan put on spectacular displays. She just received the honour of being named the 2021–22 AIFF Women’s Footballer of the Year.
Kalyan gained notoriety last year when she scored in a friendly match against past World Cup runners-up Brazil inside their home stadium.
After Dangmei Grace joined FC Nasaf of Uzbekistan, Kalyan is the second player from Gokulam, Kerala, to sign with an international team.
