KARACHI: K-Electric began their quest for a maiden National Challenge Cup title after four years of heartbreak with a 3-1 victory over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) on Wednesday.

Having lost the final in the last four editions, Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) champions K-Electric are looking at completing a league and cup double this year.

And they did no harm to their chances at the Faisal Town Football Ground in Lahore as first half goals from Mohammad Rasool (22nd minute) and captain Mohammad Essa (45th) put them in cruise control of their Group ‘D’ opener.

Striker Rasool added a second in the 72nd before SNGPL captain Ahmed Faheem pulled one back four minutes from time.

The other Group ‘D’ teams will be in action on Thursday with Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) taking on Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

Also on Thursday, the two Group ‘C’ games will be played with Pakistan Army taking on Ashraf Sugar Mills (ASM) and Karachi Port Trust (KPT) facing Pakistan Navy.

Both matches of Group ‘A’ were played on Wednesday with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) edging past Saif Textiles 1-0 but the major upset of the day came when second-division Higher Education Commission rout 2013 winners National bank of Pakistan (NBP) 3-0.

HEC narrowly lost the departmental leg final of the second-division Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL) earlier this year which saw their hopes of PPFL football next season shattered but they showed they are good value for playing in the top tier.

All their goals came in a stunning 14-minute spell which stunned NBP at the Model Town Football Ground in Lahore with Awais Riasat scoring twice in the 44th and 52nd before Ali Raza completed the scoring.

Habib-ur-Rehman’s 75th-minute strike, meanwhile was enough for PIA to secure victory at the Railways Stadium in Lahore and join HEC at the top of Group ‘A’ standings.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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