“The Challenge Cup is always like a preview to the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL),” said Essa. PHOTO: FILE
The Karachi-based club will be looking to outclass Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) during the knock-out tournament which will run for two weeks, while KRL will be striving to win the trophy for the fourth time in a row since 2009.
On the other hand, KESC have finished second for the past two years. According to their captain Essa Khan, the team has a better chance of winning against the defending champions this year.
“The Challenge Cup is always like a preview to the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL),” Essa told The Express Tribune. “We’ve been playing really well for the last two years, and this time I think my team is really motivated. We are hungry for a title at the moment and we hope we will get it.
“We didn’t win the PPFL and finished second there and moreover, our players were ignored for the national camp too. So there are many factors. We will be just trying to prove ourselves in this tournament. We just want to defeat KRL and Army in the tournament now.”
The tournament will be featuring the top seven clubs of the country from the PPFL 2012 season and nine teams from the Division B league.
The teams include KRL, KESC, PAF, Army, NBP, PIA, HBL, Pak Afghan Clearing Agency, Sui Southern Gas Company, HEC, Bahawalpur FC, Bhatti United FC, Pakistan Police, Ashraf Sugar Mills and the national under-18 team.
PFF signs deal to facilitate sport
The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has signed an agreement with Forward Sports International Sialkot, a company that will provide football kits, uniforms and 2000 footballs to the federation each year for international tournaments.
“It’s going to benefit the national team, the national under-21 side, the women’s teams and also the club teams if they are playing abroad,” said PFF official Naveed Haider.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 7th, 2013.
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