Who is Manisha Kalyan? The first Indian to play in UEFA Champions League

In tumultuous times when AIFF is banned by FIFA and Indian football is in a mess, it is Manisha and her historic feat that has gotten football in limelight for all the right reasons

On August 18, when Manisha Kalyan got off the bench to play for Apollon Ladies FC as a substitute for Marilena Georgious, she created history by becoming the first Indian to play in UEFA Women’s Champions League. However, this is not the only first that the Indian women’s football team striker has achieved so far.

Apollon Ladies are Women’s Club champions of Cyprus, based out of Limassol, the capital city of the island nation. They are taking part in the UEFA Women’s Champions League Qualification Round. They beat Riga SFK of Latvia in their first match and would now play Zurich FC. A win could take them to Round 2 of the Qualification and from thereon to the main draw. But why should India be excited about what is happening in the Women’s UEFA Champions League anyways?

At a time when the All India Football Federation (AIFF) is banned by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), it is Manisha and her historic feat that have gotten Indian football in limelight for all the right reasons. 

How did Manisha begin playing football in rural Hoshiarpur?

Football has always been the game of the poor in India, especially in North India where Cricket, Hockey, and individual sports like Boxing and Wrestling, overpower the most popular sport in the world. It is Northeast India, which has been the nursery of budding footballers, be it male or female. However, a girl in Mugowal village in the Hoshiarpur district of Punjab, dreamt differently. She was not only beating boys of her age playing football, but was even outrunning them literally. 

Thankfully Brahmjit, a PT teacher in the Government Middle School, took her to Mahilpur Football Academy and from thereon began the journey of Manisha. 

From Mugowol to Manaus: History maker Manisha

Rising through the ranks, Manisha waged her way through various Under -17 camps to finally join Madurai-based Sethu FC which participated in and became the Champions of the Indian Women’s League 2018-19.  Thanks to her outing in the three matches that she played, Manisha was drafted into the Indian U-17 team that played the BRICS Cup in South Africa in July 2018. 

Manisha was noticed by Gokulam Kerala after her goal against China in BRICS Cup and the club roped her in for the 2019-20 season of the Indian Women’s League. In that season, Kalyan, who mostly got off the bench in later stages of matches, scored three goals. She was retained by Gokulam for the next two seasons as well. The 2020 season got washed out due to Covid-19. 

However, it was in the November of 2021 that Manisha Kalyan etched her name in history books forever. In an international friendly against Brazil in Manaus, where India got thrashed 1-6, the then 20-year-old Kalyan became the first Indian (male or female) to score a goal against any Brazilian senior team. 

Women’s Player of the year 2021-22

For her brilliant goal against Brazil, four goals in four games for India and a total of 14 goals in 11 appearances for Gokulam Kerala in the Indian Women’s League, Manisha was chosen as the Women’s Player of the Year by AIFF for 2021-22 season.

Sky is the limit for Manisha Kalyan

At an age of 21, Manisha has been named Women’s Player of the Year, netted the first ever Indian senior goal against Brazil, and has become the first Indian woman to score in the Asian Women’s Championship. She scored for Gokulam in a game against Bunyodkor, the champions of Uzbekistan’s top tier Women’s Football league competition. The next big jewel added to her crown is an appearance in the top flight European competition. And yet it is just the beginning of what could be a legendary career.