All-Pakistan Football Challenge Cup: Mansoor the hero as PAF reach semi-final

Scores match’s only goal as side defeats KRL 1-0

KARACHI: PAF defeated four-time Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) champions KRL 1-0 in the quarter-finals of the All-Pakistan Football Challenge Cup at the Qayyum Stadium in Peshawar yesterday.

Both teams played a goalless first half before PAF’s Mansoor Khan scored the winner in the 53rd minute to set up a semi-final clash with Islamabad, who had defeated PTV 2-0 earlier in the day.

PAF manager Arshad Khan was delighted with the team’s performance. “It was a great match,” Arshad told The Express Tribune. “I’m happy that we’re through as it was an extremely difficult game; KRL, winners of the 2015 Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) Challenge Cup, are not an easy side to beat.”



Arshad, meanwhile, hailed the organisers of the tournament saying that the event has been a way for the departmental teams to play some football, something they have been deprived of since last year when political infighting broke out within the PFF leading to all football-related activities being halted.

Arshad was also pleased with the support the Peshawar crowd gave. “We are happy to play in Peshawar because it has been more than a decade or so since departmental teams played here. The crowd was very supportive and came out in numbers to watch the matches,” said Arshad.



In today’s fixture, Wapda take on 2014-15 PPFL champions K-Electric in the last quarter-final of the tournament. The winner of the match will take on former national champions PIA, who defeated Police 3-2, in the semi-final.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 16^th, 2016.

Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.