Gurpreet Singh Sandhu posts epic tweet as Manisha Kalyan becomes first Indian footballer to play in Champions League

20-year-old Manisha Kalyan has been scripting records at will. In November last year, she had become the first ever Indian to score a goal in the AFC Women’s Club Championship and a month later she scripted history with a goal against Brazil in a senior game. And now on Thursday, Manisha became the first Indian football to feature in a UEFA Champions League game.

Manisha was roped in by Cypriot champions Apollon Limassol shortly after she played a pivotal role in Gokulam Kerala’s successful title-defense run in Indian Women’s League earlier this year. The club is presently part of the first round qualifiers in the UEFA Women’s Champions League draw. They were up against Latvian side SFK Roga in their opener on Thursday where although Manisha wasn’t in the starting XI, but managed to make an appearance in the second half. She was substituted in the 60th minute of the game where she had donned the same No.12 jersey which she wore for Gokulam Kerala.

Apollon Limassol won the tie 3-0 and will now head to the final part of the opening round of qualification. They will next take on FC Zurich on Sunday. If they win, the side will qualify for the second round where they will be up against another first round stage winner and will play a two-leg tie, one at home and other away. A victory there would assure them of a place in the main draw of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Following the epic moment with Manisha make her Champions League debut, a video of which went viral on social media, India football star Gurpreet Singh Sandhu hailed the youngster for her achievement.

“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,” he tweeted.

What makes Manisha’s achievement even more significant is that it came at a time when Indian football is going through big turmoil with FIFA having suspended the All India Football Federation.