KARACHI, March 23: KRL goalkeeper Shahid Nabi was the hero as he made two crucial saves in the penalty shootout to help his side to a league and cup double after they defeated KESC 3-1 on penalties in the final of the National Football Challenge Cup at the KPT Sports Complex here on Friday.
In a dull match which ended goalless after the end of extra-time, Shahid proved too much of an obstacle for KESC’s first two penalty-takers in the shootout before Zia-ul-Islam scored to seal KRL’s fourth consecutive Challenge Cup triumph.
“The desire to win was too great,” a delighted Shahid told Dawn after the match. “I trusted my instincts and made those saves.”
After 120 minutes in which neither side managed to create meaningful chances, the penalty shootout provided some late drama. KRL’s Kaleemullah scored off the first kick before KESC’s Akbar Ali had his penalty saved. Mohammad Shahid then had KRL’s second penalty saved by KESC’s custodian Jahangir Shah, who was incidentally named as the tournament’s bestgoalkeeper and received a cash prize of Rs20,000. KESC’s Ahmed then shot straight at Shahid before Shahid Ahmed put KRL 2-0 up with the next penalty.
It meant that all the pressure was on KESC’s Mohammad Rasool, the tournament’s leading-scorer with 10 goals and a recipient of a cash prize of Rs20,000 for his scoring feats, when he stepped up for their third spot-kick. And to the astonishment of many, he blazed it over.
“Rasool’s penalty miss was the turning point in the shootout,” KESC captain Mohammad Essa said. “Had he scored we could’ve gotten back into the shootout.”
Essa’s KRL counterpart Samar Ishaq hit the post with the next penalty and he scored to give KESC a flicker of hope before Zia struck to spark widespread celebrations from the players and management.
“We deserved to win,” KRL coach Tariq Lufi, who side won the Pakistan Premier League earlier this season, said. “On the balance of play, we created more chances but were unlucky not to put them away.
“Our next assignment is the AFC President’s Cup in Lahore and we’re optimistic that we’ll perform well there.”
In the first-half, both teams played a pressing game with only a few chances falling to either side. In the 28th minute, KRL’s Kaleemullah broke through the KESC defence only to be stopped by a last-ditch tackle by Aurangzeb Jnr. In the closing minutes of the first-half, KRL won a corner and the resulting kick was fumbled by Jahangir into the path of Riaz Afridi who shot wide.
Samar and his defensive partner Kamran Khan, who was awarded the player of the tournament and a cash prize of Rs25,000, kept KESC’s attacking duo of Essa and Rasool quiet throughout the first period and it was more of the same in the second-half.
KRL left-winger Mohammad Adil managed unlock KRL’s defence early in the second-half after a slick one-two with Mehmood Khan but lost his footing just as he was about to pull the trigger before Kamran went narrowly wide with a header.
KRL substitute Abid Khan’s low drive was held superbly by a diving Jahangir in the 89th.
In extra-time, Adil missed two good chances, first having his shot blocked by KESC defender Akbar Ali and then failing to connect on the volley with a dipping cross from the right before the ensuing shootout.
“It is the cruelest way to lose a game,” KESC’s sports department head Zeb Khan said. “We’re obviously disappointed as we had prepared really hard for the event.”
Winners KRL collected a prize purse of Rs300,000 while KESC had to contend with Rs200,000 and third-placed Wapda received Rs 100,000. PWD collected the fair-play award while Shafaat Habib and Arsalan Habib were named best referee and assistant referee of the tournament respectively.