KARACHI: Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Pak-Afghan Clearing Agency (PACA) began their quest for promotion from the Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL) with victories on Monday.

Relegated from the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) last season following a revamp of the country’s top division which saw the bottom six teams being relegated, HBL and PACA are looking at bouncing back at the first attempt.

And they did no harm to their chances with HBL beating IAGTS Chaman 3-0 in their Group ‘A’ departmental-leg match while PACA edged past Sindh Government Press (SGP) 1-0 to make a winning start in Group ‘C’.

HBL and PACA are fighting for the one promotion berth from the PFFL departmental-leg. The winners of the departmental-leg will be promoted to the PPFL along with the winner from the club-leg.

At the Korangi Baloch Stadium here, Saeed Ahmed — voted PPFL’s player of the year two seasons ago, fired HBL into the lead two minutes into first-half stoppage time.

Atif scored their second in the 58th before Zubair Ahmed added a third three minutes later as HBL seized control of their group which also has Gwadar Port Authority (GPA).

PACA, meanwhile, put themselves in-charge of Group ‘C’ after Hazrat Maaz’s ninth-minute goal proved enough for them here at the KMC Stadium. Karachi United are the other team in the group.

The 21 competing teams have been divided into seven three-team groups in the departmental-leg with the group winners advancing to another mini-league.

Teams from groups ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘E’ will contest Group 1 of the mini-league while the winners of groups ‘B’, ‘D’, ‘F’ and ‘G’ will fight it out in Group 2.

The eventual winners of the two mini-league groups will then face off to decide the departmental-leg champion which will then play the winner of the club-leg for the PFFL title.

Higher Education Commission (HEC) look set to join HBL and PACA in the Group 2 of the mini-league after they put themselves in commanding position of Group ‘E’ following a 1-0 win over HCC Quetta thanks to Awais Riasat’s 89th-minute at the Model Town Football Ground in Lahore.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) are the other team in Group’ E’.

Published in Dawn, November 25th , 2014