Defending champions WAPDA stunned

Afghan FC register close win in football league.

KARACHI:

Afghan FC kicked off their campaign at the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL), stunning defending champions Wapda 1-0 in Quetta.

Mohammad Haji scored the match-winning goal in the 39th minute, as Wapda were left to rue missing a string of goal-scoring opportunities.

“It is a major blow for us,” Wapda coach Khalid Butt told The Express Tribune. “This is not the best start to our campaign.

“Arif Mehmood has been our key player in the forward-line but he was exhausted after his participation in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. We are, however, not depending on just one player. For me, the loss is a wake-up call, as the match must have also affected the team morale,” added Butt.

Wapda were crowned champions last year while Afghan FC finished eighth.

However, this year Afghan FC are confident. Their captain Jaded Khan believes that holding matches in Quetta was an encouraging factor for his team since the conditions were similar to those in Chaman - where several teams had refused to play last year due to a poor law-and-order situation.

While Butt’s team failed to impress, KRL coach Tariq Lutfi had the perfect start to his tenure, defeating Baloch FC 2-1. Lutfi had recently ended his sessions with the national team, after losing to Bangladesh in the World Cup qualifiers.

Baloch FC’s Mohammad Khan scored the opening goal in the 18th minute before Kalimullah hit the equaliser four minutes later.

Any hopes Baloch FC had of taking a lead were dismissed by Mehmood Khan, whose 43rd-minute strike sealed the victory for KRL.

Meanwhile, NBP crushed PAF 3-0 in Karachi. Farooq Shah’s two goals – in the 13th minute and the third minute of first-half injury time – helped NBP lead 2-0 at the interval.

With Atiullah scoring one more for NBP, in the 71st minute, their win was more than secured.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 7^th, 2011.