KARACHI: Pakistan Railways and Baloch FC Quetta will contest the final of the second-division Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL) with both teams having secured a berth in next year’s Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL).
The Group of Five round of the Departmental Leg and the Final Round of the Club Leg concluded on Saturday with the two teams winning in their respective categories. Railways won the Departmental Leg while Baloch FC Quetta triumphed in the Club Leg.
Naveed Ashraf scored a late goal to ensure Railways beat Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) 2-1 and top the Group of Five round here at the KPT Stadium.
A draw would’ve ended both teams’ chances of winning the five-team mini-league of the Departmental Leg and Naveed scored in the 83rd minute after Usman Senior’s 75th-minute strike for SSGC had cancelled out Usman Zafar’s opener just past the hour mark.
The victory enabled Railways to top the standings at the Group of Five round with nine points, two ahead of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) with the SSGC third with six points.
Earlier, Karachi United scored three times in nine minutes to secure a 3-3 draw against Pakistan Police in a Departmental Leg game which had no bearing in the outcome of the Group of Five round.
After Munib Ahmed’s first-half brace and Asadullah’s strike in the 72nd had put Police 3-0 up, Waseem Abdul Salam began Karachi United’s fightback in the 80th and Sameer reduced the deficit further in three minutes later with Umer salvaging a draw a minute from time.
In Layyah, Baloch FC Quetta began their final game of the three-team Club Leg final round needing victory against Milli Afghan FC and achieved exactly that.
Mohammad Zahid scored in the 12th minute before Ghulam Farooq’s penalty on the hour mark secured a 2-0 victory for Baloch FC Quetta who finished on four points, one ahead of Milli Afghan FC to secure promotion to the PPFL.
