ISLAMABAD: Wapda forced their way into the semi-finals of the fifth National Women Football Championship when they edged out Diya Football Club Sindh 2-1 in the fourth quarter-final played at the Jinnah Stadium on Friday night.

Earlier in another quarter-final, titlist Rawalpindis Young Rising Stars FC thrashed Punjab 7-0 while Iranian team Malavan Bandar Anzali created new record by beating Higher Education Commission (HEC) 22-0.

Wapda’s striker Rafia Perveen scored two sparkling goals (28th and 44th mins) that ended Diya’s run in the competition.

Diya’s reliable scorer Hajra Khan pulled one back in the 56th minute but Wapda’s defenders did well to keep them from scoring any further. Wapda will now take on Malavan Bandar Anzali in the semi-final on Sunday.

The third quarter-final saw Young Rising Stars firing a hat-trick through spearhead Aisha Jamal to inflict a crushing 7-0 win over Punjab. She slammed the ball into net in the 16th, 36th and 58th minutes.

The Rawalpindi-based team added more goals through Sahar Zaman (24th min), Asmara Habib (39th min), skipper Sana Mehmood (43rd min) and Malaika Noor (70th min).

Sunday’s fixtures:

Semi-finals: Young Rising Stars FC v Sports Sciences Department, Punjab University at at 6.00pm; Wapda v Malavan Bandar Anzali, Iran at 8.30pm