PFF National Challenge Cup explained

PFF National Challenge Cup
Organiser:Pakistan Football Federation
Related Comps:Pakistan Premier League
PFF League B Division
Region:Pakistan
Number Of Teams:27 (2023)
Current Champions:WAPDA (2nd title)
Most Successful Club:Khan Research Laboratories (6 titles)
Current: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.

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. 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.

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).

Names

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

Finals

No.YearChampionScoreRunner-upVenue
1 1979 Sindh Government PressMuslim Commercial Bank
2 1984 WAPDA
3 1985 National Bank
4 1987 Crescent Textiles Mill Karachi Port Trust
5 1990 Habib Bank
6 1991 Markers Club Karachi Port Trust
7 1992 Crescent Textiles Mill Markers Club
8 1993 Pakistan Steel
9 1994 General Fans Pakistan Airforce
10 Allied Bank Limited 3–1Pakistan Army
11 1998 Allied Bank Limited Karachi Port Trust
12 1999 Allied Bank Limited Khan Research Laboratories
13 2000 Allied Bank Limited
14 2001 Khan Research Laboratories
152002Allied Bank LimitedWAPDA
162003PTCLKarachi Port Trust
172005PTCL2–1WAPDAArmy Sports Complex, Rawalpindi
182008Pakistan Navy3–1Khan Research LaboratoriesPeople's Football Stadium, Karachi
192009Khan Research Laboratories1–0Pakistan AirlinesHyderabad
202010Khan Research Laboratories4–0Pakistan NavyQilla Kuhna Qasim Bagh, Multan
212011Khan Research Laboratories1–0K-ElectricBohranwali Ground, Faisalabad
222012Khan Research Laboratories0–0 (a.e.t., 3–1 pen)K-ElectricKPT Stadium, Karachi
232013National Bank1–0K-ElectricDring Stadium, Bahawalpur
242014Pakistan Air Force3–1 (a.e.t)K-ElectricKPT Stadium, Karachi
252015Khan Research Laboratories3–0Pakistan AirlinesRailway Stadium, Lahore
262016Khan Research Laboratories1–0National BankPunjab Stadium, Lahore
272018Pakistan Air Force2–1WAPDAKPT Stadium, Karachi
282019Pakistan Army3–2Sui Southern GasTehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
292020WAPDA1–0Sui Southern GasPunjab Stadium, Lahore
302023–24WAPDA1–0SA GardensJinnah Stadium, Islamabad
Wins by club
ClubWinsWinning years
62009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
Allied Bank Limited41996, 1998, 1999, 2002
Pakistan Army32000, 2001, 2019
Crescent Textiles Mill21987, 1992
National Bank1993, 2013
Pakistan Airforce2014, 2018
PTCL2003, 2005
WAPDA2020, 2023–24
General Fans11994
Habib Bank1985
Karachi Port Trust1987
Marker Club1991
Pakistan Navy2008
Pakistan Airlines1984
Sindh Government Press1979

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.

Club!scope="col"
WinsFirst final wonLast final wonRunners-upLast final lostTotal final appearances
Khan Research Laboratories6200920163200810
Allied Bank Limited419962002120005
Pakistan Army320002019119964
WAPDA220202023–24420186
National Bank219932013220164
Pakistan Air Force220142018120103
Crescent Textiles Mill21987199202
PTCL22003200502
Karachi Port Trust119871987320034
Habib Bank119851985119902
Marker Club119911991119922
Pakistan Airlines119841984120153
Pakistan Navy120082008120102
General Fans11994199401
Sindh Government Press11979197901
K-Electric0420144
Sui Southern Gas0220202
Muslim Commercial Bank0119791
Pakistan Steel0119931
SA Gardens012023–241

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.[1] 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.[2] 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

Notes and References

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