Indian international and forward Manisha Kalyan will likely play in the UEFA Women’s Champions League after penning a two-year contract with Cypriot Champions Apollon Ladies FC. The 20-year-old is a two-time Indian Women’s League winner with Gokulam Kerala FC. Apollon will be playing their two-legged UEFA Women’s Champions League qualifier in August against Latvian club Riga FC.
From Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Manisha spent the early part of her career at Sethu FC. She joined Gokulam Kerala FC in 2018 and played in three editions of the IWL winning two titles back to back – in 2019-20 and 2021-22. She was awarded the Emerging Player of the IWL in 2019-20 and was the Hero of the League in the 2021-22 edition of the tournament.
In 2021, she became the first Indian to score in a top-flight Asian competition when she got on the scoresheet against FC Bunyodkar in the AFC Women’s Club Championship 2021.
For the national team, Manisha has been capped 17 times and has scored four goals including ‘that goal’ against Brazil in the 2021 International Women’s Football Tournament of Manaus. She has won the SAFF Women’s Championship and a gold medal in the South Asian Games with the Women’s NT in 2019. Kalyan was also awarded the AIFF Emerging Player of the Year for 2020-21.
Tall, lanky and physically strong, Manisha drives the ball through on either wing and can slot in as a No. 9.
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