HBL survive relegation with vital victory

Bankers book spot in next season’s PPFL with win over Army.

KARACHI: HBL shocked Army 2-0 in a do-or-die match to survive in the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL), while Wapda extracted a victory against NBP 1-0 yesterday in Karachi after a string of defeats in the tournament.

HBL, who were facing relegation to Division B, retained their slot in PPFL with a vital win against Army, as Muhammad Atif scored in the ninth minute of the match, while Mohammad Yaqoob sealed the win with his strike in the 32nd minute.

With the win, HBL have confirmed their spot in PPFL next year. They have now replaced KPT in ninth position with 31 points after playing 28 matches.

Despite the defeat, Army remained in fourth position with 51 points after 25 matches.

Meanwhile, Wapda’s 1-0 win over NBP, courtesy Zulfiqar Shah’s goal in the 29th minute, helped them climb up to 11th position in the league with 29 points after 25 matches.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2013.