LAHORE, July 7: National champions Wapda and Army are placed in Group-I and II in the first national football Challenge Cup stage-II starting in Multan and Karachi, simultaneously from July 13.

According to draws announced on Thursday, the Group-I matches will be held at Qasim Bagh, Multan while Group-II at the CDGK Stadium, Karachi.

Multan will be hosting a national event after a long period of 30 years.

In all, 12 teams will take part in the competition which offers Rs one million cash prizes.

In Group-I, besides Wapda the other teams are Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Police and Karachi Electric Supply Corporation (KESC).

The winners of the match between Wohaib Club and Panthers Club, Faisalabad will also earn a place in the group. The match has been rescheduled and will also be held in Multan on July 13.

Their earlier clash was declared abandoned by the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) after spectators entered the Railways Stadium when both teams were locked at 2-2.

In Group-II, besides Army, the other outfits are Karachi Port Trust (KPT), NBP, PTCL, Sindh Government Press (SGP) and Pakistan Air Force (PAF) or Higher Education Commission (HEC).

The PAF and HEC will play a match and the winners will qualify for the stage two. The date and venue of the match is still to be decided.

Wapda play their first match against Police on July 14. Army will play their opener against PAF/HEC on July 13.

The winners and runners-up of both the groups will make the last four. The venues for the semifinals and finals will be announced later.

The winners will earn Rs 3 lacs while the runners-up will walk away with Rs 2 lacs.

Group-I matches (Qasim Bagh Stadium, Multan):

July 13:   KRL vs Navy; July 14: WAPDA vs Police;

July 15:   KESC Vs Wohaib/Panther;

July 16:   Police vs KRL;

July 17:   Navy Vs Wohaib/Panther;

July 18:   WAPDA vs KESC.

July 19:  Navy Vs Police.

July 20:   KRL Vs KESC.

July 21:   WAPDA Vs Wohaib/Panther.

July 22:  Police Vs KESC.

July 23:  KRL Vs Wohaib/Panther.

July 24:  WAPDA Vs Navy.

July 25:  Police vs Wohaib/Panther.

July 26:   Navy Vs KESC.

July 27:  WAPDA vs KRL.

GROUP-2: (At CDGK Stadium, Karachi).

July 13:  Army vs PAF/HEC.

July 14:   NBP vs KPT.

July 15:   SGP vs PTCL.

July 16.  KPT vs PAF/HEC.

July 17:  NBP vs PTCL.

July 18:  Army vs SGP.

July 19:   PAF vs NBP.

July 20:  Army vs PTCL.

July 21:   KPT vs SGP.

July 22:  PTCL vs PAF/HEC.

July 23:  NBP vs SGP.

July 24:   Army vs KPT.

July 25:  PAF/HEC Vs SGP.

July 26:  KPT vs PTCL.

July 27:  Army vs NBP.