KRL became the first Pakistan club to play in the final of the AFC President’s Cup. PHOTO: KRL
KRL had enjoyed an unbeaten run in the second round on their way to the final.
Their first win came against favourites FC Dordoi of Kyrgyzstan 1-0, followed by a comfortable 2-0 victory over Palestine’s Hilal al-Quds. In the first round of matches in May, KRL drew their first match with two-time champions FC Dordoi 1-1 and outclassed Philippines’ Global FC and Bhutan’s Yeezdin FC.
They were up against Group A winners Balkan FC yesterday, who were also in a rich vein of form, scoring 10 goals in the campaign before the finale. Balkan FC had beaten Bhutan’s Three Star Club and Erchim FC with emphatic margins to qualify for the final.
With the tournament’s two best teams playing against each other, an exciting finale was expected in the event.
After playing a tightly-contested, goalless first-half, Balkan FC’s Amir Gurbani scored a late winner to hand his side the coveted victory.
Despite the defeat, KRL assistant coach Sajjad Mehmood was satisfied with their performance in the tournament.
“KRL made history by playing the President’s Cup final as they became the first Pakistani club to do so and we are very proud of that,” he told The Express Tribune.
“The team has found their rhythm and even reaching the final was a big achievement.”
KRL Lauded by the PPFL clubs
The top PPFL teams had words of praise for KRL.
Army coach Shafqat Mehmood said the club had done the country proud.
“All praises to KRL for performing so well at the President’s Cup,” he said. “They should’ve won the final, but it’s a big achievement to even reach the final as a Pakistani club.”
Coach of four-time champions Wapda, Khalid Butt, agreed with Shafqat, adding that that KRL’s achievement was a result of their players competing at the South Asian Football Association (Saff) Championship that concluded earlier this month.
“They have seven to eight players who represent Pakistan so it’s no surprise they reached the final,” said Butt.
“This team had a lot of experience and exposure from the Saff Championship to prepare for the President’s Cup.
“Winning and losing is a part of the sport, but their feat was extremely important for Pakistan football. Their achievement will encourage other clubs as well. They have created history.
“The credit goes to the players and the coach. Wapda appeared thrice but we couldn’t reach the final. KRL, on the other hand, gained valuable experience from their previous participation and now they used it to their advantage. This team is seeing a very good time at the moment.”
KRL will return to Pakistan and start their campaign in the PPFL next month.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2013.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ