LAHORE, July 30: The Second Pakistan Premier League (PPL), with 12 teams in its fold, kicks off on Sunday with the opening match between the hosts Afghan Football Club, Chaman and Pakistan Public Works Department (PWD). The Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) has appointed Haji Saeed Ahmed as the co-ordinator of the opening match.

Akhtar Mohiuddin will act as match commissioner and also as referee inspector.

Bahawalpur’s Khalid Khan, enrolled in FIFA List 2005, will supervise the match.

Afghan Club’s next opponents on their home ground will be HBL on Aug 2, Wohaib Club on Aug 4, Navy on Aug 6, NBP on Aug 8 and KPT on Aug 10.

Top ten of the last year’s PPL and top two teams of PFF league entered the second edition.

The draws of other matches will be announced, later. A total of 132 matches will be held in the league. Wapda will compete as defending champions.

The others are Army, KRL, KPT, PTCL, Navy, HBL, Afghan Club, and Wohaib Club, Lahore qualified by finishing among top ten in PPL 2004.

Panthers Club, Faisalabad entered as the 10th team, despite finishing 11th last year.

They had been eliminated but they qualified as ABL, who finished eighth in PPL 2004, withdrew from the competition after the bank management disbanded the football team.

NBP and PWD, as last year’s champions and runners-up of PFF League are the remaining two teams completing the draws of 12 teams.