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KRL to begin PPFL campaign today

Defending champions set to face unbeaten Wapda.

Natasha Raheel October 28, 2013

KESC continued with their winning streak and led the league with 25 points after playing 11 matches. PHOTO: FILE

KARACHI: Defending champions KRL will begin their campaign in the 10th Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) today against an unbeaten Wapda side at the KPT Stadium in Karachi. They will be the last team to make a start in the league.

KRL coach Tariq Lutfi felt his players would need to prove themselves and play the domestic matches with the same spirit they showed in Malaysia last month. The team became the first Pakistan club to reach the final of the Asian Football Confederation President’s Cup.

“We have raised the standard and now every team will want to defeat us,” Lutfi told The Express Tribune. “Our opening match will be challenging since people now expect us to win, and other teams want to prove themselves against us as well.

“Wapda have fared well so far in the competition. They haven’t lost a match, so I feel a little pressure and I have told my players to take the competition seriously. The conditions in international matches are very different from our local competitions and winning the first match will set the tone.”

Meanwhile, Lutfi said he believed his players needed to master four things to win any international or local competition.

“Firstly, they need to be technically sound. The second thing is to have tactical awareness and then follows the athleticism of the players since my team got together just three days ago.

“The fourth factor will be psychological; I’ve been working on it and have told my players that we are playing to win.”

On the other hand, Wapda coach Khalid Butt said that his assistants will be training the squad in his absence.

KESC thrash Baloch FC 4-0

In yesterday’s matches, KESC continued with their winning streak and led the league with 25 points after playing 11 matches. They thrashed Baloch FC 4-0, with two strikes from Muhammad Rasool while Muhammad Musa and Muhammad Riaz netted a goal each.

KPT crushed debutants Lyallpur FC 3-1 to replace Wapda in third position with 18 points. PIA also defeated ZTBL 2-1 and moved to seventh place with 14 points.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2013.

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