KARACHI, Sept 2: National Challenge Cup winners National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) got their Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) campaign off to a winning start when they edged past Pakistan International Ai rlines (PIA) 1-0 here on Monday.

At the KMC Stadium, the game seemed to be heading for a draw until playmaker Farooq Shah struck the winner five minutes from time to help the NBP earn their first three points of the season.

“It was a pressure match especially as it was our first game after the Challenge Cup victory,” NBP head coach Nasir Ismail told Dawn.

Nasir, who is currently training Pakistan’s U-19 team, was full of praise for his assistant coach Mohammad Sadiq who will be taking charge of team affairs for their first ten games.

“Sadiq has done a wonderful job to keep the team fit and hopefully this start will help us build for the season,” he added.

In Monday’s other match at Lahore’s Railways Stadium, Wapda gave returning coach Khalid Butt victory in his first match in-charge of the team after a two-year spell away from the team.

Wapda scored three times in 17 second-half minutes for a convincing 3-0 win over new boys Lyallpur FC.

Hasnain opened the deadlock in the 51st minute before Wapda’s ace striker Arif Mehmood doubled their lead ten minutes later. Zulfiqar then added gloss to their victory with a goal in the 68th.—Sports Reporter