KPT, Police bag victories in football league

Army coach blames unfavourable weather for poor performance

KARACHI:

Home teams dominated proceedings in the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL), as Karachi Port Trust (KPT) defeated Pakistan Navy 2-1, while Habib Bank Limited (HBL) held Pakistan Army to a 1-1 draw.

Pakistan Police also won their opening match against PMC Athletico 1-0 in Quetta.

In an exciting end to the first match of the day, Navy’s Mohammad Ahsan struck the equaliser just two minutes before time, after Naveed Ahmed had given KPT the lead in the 58th minute. However, Zafar Majeed sealed victory for KPT, scoring the winner in stoppage time.

KPT captain Akhtar Mamoul was delighted with the win.

“It was encouraging to win our opening match,” Mamoul told The Express Tribune. “Credit goes to Majeed and the whole team.”

Meanwhile, Army struggled for form as they only managed a draw against HBL. HBL’s Mohammad Atif scored in the 31st minute, with Army’s Mohammad Imran equalising just three minutes before the interval.

Army coach Major Shafqat said that his team had suffered its worst start to the tournament in five years and felt that his team was finding it hard to adjust to Karachi’s weather.

“The weather makes a huge difference,” he said. “My players have trained in Islamabad and get tired too soon in this weather. It’s humid and windy and that affects ball movement on the pitch.”

In the last match of the day Police’s Waseem Abbas scored the winner in the 65th minute against PMC Athletico.





Published in The Express Tribune, July 8^th, 2011.