Young striker Manisha Kalyan became the first Indian footballer to play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League when she made her debut for Apollon Ladies FC in the European Club competition in Engomi, Cyprus.
Kalyan replaced Cyprus Marilena Georgiou in the 60th minute at the Makareio Stadium, as Apollon Ladies FC beat Latvian top flight club SFK Rga 3-0 in their UWCL opener on Thursday (August 18).
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The 20-year-old had become the fourth Indian woman footballer to sign for an overseas club when she landed a multi-year contract with Cypriot top division winners Apollon Ladies.
Tracking the updates where Manisha Kalyan becomes the first Indian footballer to play in a Champions League game ⭐️
What a moment, and what a hero. What she’s gone and done needs to be spoken about louder 👏— Gurpreet Singh Sandhu (@GurpreetGK) August 18, 2022
Kalyan had produced impressive performances for the national team and Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women’s League (IWL).
She was recently awarded the AIFF Woman Footballer of the Year for the 2021-22 season. Kalyan had shot to fame last year when she scored against former World Cup runners-up Brazil in their own den during an international friendly.
Kalyan is the second player from Gokulam Kerala to sign for an overseas club after Dangmei Grace joined Uzbek outfit FC Nasaf. Apollon Ladies will next play FC Zurich Frauen on August 21.
