Kochi, March 31 Australian-born Ryan Williams made a dream debut for India, as his goal in the fourth minute helped his team win 2-1 against Hong Kong in an inconsequential Asian Cup qualifying round match here on Tuesday.
Akash Mishra scored the other goal for India in the 50th minute, also his first international goal, to help Khalid Jamil's team secure their first victory in the third round of qualifiers.
Having already been eliminated from the continental competition, India ended their campaign with five points – from one win and two draws – and were at the bottom of Group C.
Everton Camargo scored for Hong Kong in the 65th minute.
India had lost to Hong Kong 0-1 in the first leg on June 10 last year in Kowloon. Singapore, who had beaten Bangladesh 1-0 at home earlier in the day, qualified for the 2027 Asian Cup as Group C toppers with 14 points from six matches.
Williams scored with a powerful right-footed shot from the middle of the field, assisted by Manvir Singh, in the fourth minute, giving the large Kochi crowd a wonderful moment to cheer.
Williams was included in the squad after FIFA cleared his change of association, allowing the 31-year-old winger to represent India at the senior international level. He had previously been part of India's preparatory camp for the match against Bangladesh but was left out of the lineup due to pending documentation.
This was also his international debut, as he had not played for Australia in an official senior match. He represented Australia at the youth level, participating in the 2012 AFC U-19 Championship and the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup.
A versatile attacker currently playing for Indian Super League side Bengaluru FC, Williams relinquished his Australian passport last year to play for India.
Williams was substituted in the 67th minute after limping off the field.
Minutes later, Anwar Ali was also taken off after receiving medical attention on the field.
This was the fastest goal scored by a debutant for India, surpassing the previous record of sixth-minute goals by K Appalaraju against Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in a pre-Olympics match in Colombo in 1963 and Mehtab Hossain against Nepal in the 2005 SAFF Cup in Karachi.
The home side played with confidence after taking the lead, dominating possession and looking assured on the ball, controlling the tempo.
Manvir Singh then delivered a cross towards Lallianzuala Chhangte inside the box, but a Hong Kong defender successfully cleared the danger.
The Indian defense prevented Hong Kong's attackers from gaining space in their own half, with four to five Indian players surrounding the attackers whenever an opportunity arose. The defense were always in control whenever the visitors showed any promise in their attacks.
India looked dangerous in counter-attacks whenever there was an opportunity. Williams received the ball from midfield and passed it to Manvir on the right, and the forward flicked it to Chhangte on the first touch.
The winger then shot with his weaker right foot, but Hong Kong defender Shinichi Chan successfully blocked it, resulting in a corner.
Apuia came close to doubling the lead at the 25th-minute mark. The midfielder was at the end of a swift counter-attack, with Manvir Singh and Ryan Williams combining well down the left, but his right-footed shot from distance just missed the post.
On the other end, Hong Kong patiently built up the play, passing the ball into wide areas and delivering crosses into the box, but the Indian defence comfortably dealt with them, ensuring they went into the break with their one-goal lead.
The Blue Tigers began the second half just as brightly as the first. Rahul Bheke's long throw was not cleared by the opposition defence. As the ball bobbled inside the box, Akash Mishra reacted quickest at the near post, rifling a right-footed shot from a tight angle past the goalkeeper for his first international goal and doubling India's lead.
India's defence was breached just after the hour mark as Braunshtain Barak found space between Sandesh Jhingan and Rahul Bheke to slip a pass through to Everton Camargo. The forward timed his run perfectly, got to the ball ahead of the defenders, and finished past Gurpreet to halve the deficit.