Kochi, April 1: Ryan Williams described his dream India debut as “unreal” after scoring inside four minutes in India’s 2-1 win over Hong Kong in their final AFC Asian Cup Qualifier in Kerala.

The Australian-born forward, making his first senior international appearance for India, needed just four minutes to make an impact – a moment he said he had replayed in his mind countless times before kick-off.

“You couldn’t write this”: Williams on dream debut

“It’s a strange one. I have been dreaming about this for a long time and done a lot of work to make this happen. You couldn’t write this – in Kerala, the home of football, scoring within five minutes and winning,” Williams said in an AIFF video.

The 32-year-old admitted the moment overwhelmed him as soon as the ball hit the net. “It just went blurry. I think I just slipped over and ran away and didn’t know what to do. Because having, in my mind, scored that goal so many times and then it happening is just special… emotions take over,” he added.

Team first: “It means nothing if you don’t win”

Despite the personal milestone, Williams was quick to stress that the result mattered more than the goal. “You know that’s the main thing – for us to win. It means nothing if you score and don’t win. It’s just incredible. I don’t think it’s fully sunk in yet,” he said.

India had already been eliminated from qualification contention before the match, but the victory provided a much-needed morale boost under Khalid Jamil.

Match recap: Early strike sets the tone

Williams’ early goal set the tempo for the home side before Akash Mishra doubled the lead in the 50th minute – his first international goal for India.

Hong Kong pulled one back later in the game, but India held firm to seal a 2-1 win in their final Group C fixture.

India finished their campaign at the bottom of the group with five points, registering one win and two draws. While the result did not alter qualification standings, it offered a positive finish to a challenging campaign.

Long road to India debut

Williams’ journey to the India shirt has been anything but straightforward. He received clearance from FIFA to switch allegiance and had earlier been part of the squad for the Bangladesh fixture but missed out due to pending paperwork.

Tuesday’s match finally marked his official debut.

Before switching allegiance, Williams had represented Australia at youth levels, including the AFC U-19 Championship and the FIFA U-20 World Cup, but never made a senior appearance.

Currently playing for Bengaluru FC, he also made a significant personal sacrifice by giving up his Australian passport last year to pursue his India dream.

Kerala crowd leaves lasting impression

Williams also highlighted the role of the fans in making the night special. “When you play these games, you want that atmosphere – they brought it and pushed us more. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart thank you for making this so special, not only for me but for everyone,” he said.

“This will be something that myself and my family will remember for many, many years.”

A positive end, despite early exit

While India’s qualification hopes had ended earlier, the win – powered by two first-time scorers – offered a glimpse of promise.

For Williams, it was more than just a goal. It was the culmination of years of waiting, sacrifice, and belief – a debut that felt almost scripted, even if he himself “couldn’t quite believe it.”