KARACHI: Gwadar Port Authority (GPA) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) won their opening games in the departmental-leg of the second-division Pakistan Football Federation League (PFFL) on Wednesday, setting up crucial deciding games in their respective groups.

GPA scored three times in the first-half as they ran out 3-0 winners over IAGTC of Chaman and will now face Habib Bank Limited (HBL) in their final Group ‘A’ match to decide which team progresses to the Group 1 mini-league.

That mini-league will see the winners of groups ‘A’, ‘C’ and ‘E’ fighting it out to see which team advances to the departmental-leg final, the winner of which will be promoted to the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL).

The other team in that final will come from the mini-league Group 2 which sees the top teams from groups ‘B’, ‘D’, ‘F’ and ‘G’ slug it out.

Like GPA, SNGPL will play Higher Education Commission (HEC) in the last game of Group ‘E’ to decide which team progresses after Ahmed Fahim’s brace helped them to a 3-1 win over HCC Quetta.

SNGPL need only a draw to progress as they have a better goal difference over HEC, who beat eliminated HCC 1-0 two days ago.

At the Model Town Football Academy Ground in Lahore, Ahmed put SNGPL ahead in the 28th minute with Usman making it 2-0 eight minutes later. Ahmed scored his second four minutes from time after Abdullah had pulled one back for HCC in the 57th.

Unlike SNGPL, GPA don’t have the luxury of playing out for a draw against HBL with both teams having enjoyed 3-0 wins over IAGTC.

Nadeem put GPA ahead in the 11th here at the Korangi Baloch Stadium with Mohsin doubling their lead just past the half-hour mark. Pervaiz added their third four minutes before half-time.

Sindh Government Press (SGP) are still in contention in Group ‘C’ although they have no control of their destiny when the final match in that section is played.

Having lost to Pak-Afghan Clearing Agency (PACA) 1-0 in their opening game, SGP beat Karachi United 2-0 here at the KMC Stadium with goals in each half by Javed Ahmed and Ahsan and now need United to beat PACA by a solitary goal on Friday to make the next round.

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014