PFF National Challenge Cup

Last updated
PFF National Challenge Cup
National Football Challange Cup logo 2020.jpg
Organising body Pakistan Football Federation
Founded1979;45 years ago (1979)
Region Pakistan
Number of teams27 (2023)
Related competitions Pakistan Premier League
PFF League B Division
Current champions WAPDA (2nd title)
Most successful club(s) Khan Research Laboratories (6 titles)
Soccerball current event.svg 2023 PFF National Challenge Cup

The PFF National Challenge Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Pakistani football within the Pakistan football league system. It is organized by and named after the Pakistan Football Federation. Initially named as Inter Departmental Championship, it was introduced in 1979 as a football tournament for departmental selections and armed forces teams excluded from the National Football Championship of Pakistan. [1]

Contents

Khan Research Laboratories have won the most titles (six). WAPDA are the current champions, winning the 2023–24 edition courtesy of a 1–0 win against SA Gardens in the final.

Background

Introduced in 1979 to offer nationwide competition to departmental selections and armed forces teams excluded from the National Football Championship, the event was named as Inter Departmental Championship. However, due to internal conflicts within the PFF, the second edition occurred only in 1984 and was rebranded as the Inter Provincial Championship. [1] Although the four provincial teams were allowed to participate, they were not factored into the final ranking in both the 1984 and 1985 tournaments. Only since 1990 has the tournament been held regularly, albeit undergoing frequent name changes. [1]

Although it is an annual competition, it has not been held on a few occasions. The competition was not held from (1980–83, 1986, 1988–89, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2006–07, 2017, 2021–22). [1]

Names

SeasonsName [1]
1979Inter-Departmental Championship
1984–1985Inter Provincial Championship
1987President-PFF Cup
1990–1991National Departmental Championship
1992–1994Pakistan Inter-Departmental Championship
1996–2003PFF President's Cup
2005–2015;
2018		National Challenge Cup
2016PFF Cup
2019–presentPFF National Challenge Cup

Finals

No.YearChampionScoreRunner-upVenue
11979 Sindh Government Press Muslim Commercial Bank
21984 Pakistan Airlines WAPDA
31985 Habib Bank Limited National Bank
41987Crescent Textiles Mill Karachi Port Trust
51990 Karachi Port Trust Habib Bank
61991Markers Club Karachi Port Trust
71992Crescent Textiles MillMarkers Club
81993 National Bank Pakistan Steel
91994General Fans Pakistan Airforce
10 1996 Allied Bank Limited3–1 Pakistan Army
111998Allied Bank Limited Karachi Port Trust
121999Allied Bank Limited Khan Research Laboratories
132000 Pakistan Army Allied Bank Limited
142001 Pakistan Army Khan Research Laboratories
152002Allied Bank Limited WAPDA
162003PTCL Karachi Port Trust
17 2005 PTCL2–1 WAPDA Army Sports Complex, Rawalpindi
18 2008 Pakistan Navy 3–1 Khan Research Laboratories People's Football Stadium, Karachi
19 2009 Khan Research Laboratories 1–0 Pakistan Airlines Hyderabad
20 2010 Khan Research Laboratories 4–0 Pakistan Navy Qilla Kuhna Qasim Bagh, Multan
21 2011 Khan Research Laboratories 1–0 K-Electric Bohranwali Ground, Faisalabad
22 2012 Khan Research Laboratories 0–0 (a.e.t., 3–1 pen) K-Electric KPT Stadium, Karachi
23 2013 National Bank 1–0 K-Electric Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur
24 2014 Pakistan Air Force 3–1 (a.e.t) K-Electric KPT Stadium, Karachi
25 2015 Khan Research Laboratories 3–0 Pakistan Airlines Railway Stadium, Lahore
26 2016 Khan Research Laboratories 1–0 National Bank Punjab Stadium, Lahore
27 2018 Pakistan Air Force 2–1 WAPDA KPT Stadium, Karachi
28 2019 Pakistan Army 3–2 Sui Southern Gas Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
29 2020 WAPDA 1–0 Sui Southern Gas Punjab Stadium, Lahore
30 2023–24 WAPDA 1–0 SA Gardens Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad
Wins by club
ClubWinsWinning years
Khan Research Laboratories 6 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
Allied Bank Limited41996, 1998, 1999, 2002
Pakistan Army 32000, 2001, 2019
Crescent Textiles Mill21987, 1992
National Bank 1993, 2013
Pakistan Airforce 2014, 2018
PTCL2003, 2005
WAPDA 2020, 2023–24
General Fans11994
Habib Bank 1985
Karachi Port Trust 1987
Marker Club1991
Pakistan Navy 2008
Pakistan Airlines 1984
Sindh Government Press 1979

Results by team

Since its establishment, the National Challenge Cup has been won by 15 different teams. Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence. [1]

Results by team
ClubWinsFirst final wonLast final wonRunners-upLast final lostTotal final appearances
Khan Research Laboratories 6 2009 2016 3 2008 10
Allied Bank Limited4 1996 2002120005
Pakistan Army 32000 2019 1 1996 4
WAPDA 2 2020 2023–24 4 2018 6
National Bank 21993 2013 2 2016 4
Pakistan Air Force 2 2014 2018 1 2010 3
Crescent Textiles Mill2198719920–2
PTCL22003 2005 0–2
Karachi Port Trust 119871987320034
Habib Bank 119851985119902
Marker Club119911991119922
Pakistan Airlines 1198419841 2015 3
Pakistan Navy 1 2008 2008 1 2010 2
General Fans1199419940–1
Sindh Government Press 1197919790–1
K-Electric 0––4 2014 4
Sui Southern Gas 0––2 2020 2
Muslim Commercial Bank0––119791
Pakistan Steel 0––119931
SA Gardens 0––1 2023–24 1

Giant killings

The possibility of unlikely victories in the earlier rounds of the competition, where lower ranked teams beat higher placed opposition in what is known as a "giant killing", is much anticipated by the public. Such upsets are considered an integral part of the tradition and prestige of the competition, and the attention gained by giant-killing teams can be as great as that for winners of the cup.

In 2009, non-league side Sindh Government Press defeated top-flight National Bank 3–2 in group stages. [2] In 2011, second-division club Ashraf Sugar Mills defeated Pakistan Premier League winners WAPDA F.C. 1–0, and they repeated the feat again in the group stages, defeating National Bank from Pakistan Premier League 2–0, as they finished top of the group. [3] In 2012, second-division side Pakistan Public Work Department defeated Pakistan Air Force 2–0 in group stages. In 2013, Pak Afghan Clearing defeated league winners and defending champions Khan Research Laboratories 2–1. At the 2023–24 PFF National Challenge Cup, Higher Education Commission, an ad-hoc team of players from different universities and colleges around Pakistan defeated Khan Research Laboratories at the quarterfinals by 1–0 at the stoppage time.

Records and statistics

Final

Team

Individual

All rounds

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Naveed, Malik Riaz Hai; Wahidi, Syed Akber Ali (14 February 2019). "Pakistan – List of Cup Winners". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  2. ↑ "Pakistan 2008/09". RSSSF . Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  3. ↑ "Pakistan 2010/11". RSSSF . Retrieved 2022-12-23.
  4. ↑ Naveed, Malik Riaz Hai (17 August 2006). "Pakistan 2005 (National Tournaments)". RSSSF . Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "KRL, Army match ends in goalless draw". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-06-02.
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