KARACHI, Jan 15: For Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) it has been a year in which they have finished second to Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) — and on one occasion, lost out only by a whisker.
After losing to KRL on penalties in the National Challenge Cup in March last year, Akbar Ali’s side claimed second place in the Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) as they watched their rivals celebrate a League and Cup double.
But for all their hard work, KESC feel they deserve some incentive — none better than a spot in an AFC competition.
“We deserve a spot in a continental competition,” KESC’s Head of Sports Marketing Mohammad Zabe Khan, told Dawn on Tuesday.
“We’ve worked really hard during the last year and if we take the example of European competitions, two teams from each country get a spot in UEFA events.”
But the problem which arises is AFC’s three-tier competition structure.
AFC has three club tournaments with the AFC Champions League for the mature countries, the AFC Cup for the developing nations and the AFC President’s Cup for the emerging ones.
Pakistan fall in the emerging countries’ category and KRL, as PPFL winners, have booked a slot in this year’s event. KESC, meanwhile, have no such reward.
The AFC does not hold any competition for the Cup winners from emerging countries — something that KRL coach Tariq Lutfi would like to change.
“It would be good if the National Challenge Cup winners and the PPFL champions both get a chance to play in an Asian event,” Lutfi said.
But Zabe wants Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) to pressurise the AFC into making changes into their event formats to ensure the top two PPFL finishers, along with the Cup winners feature in continental competitions.
“They [PFF] talk about having good contacts with the AFC but what good are those contacts if they do not benefit football in the country,” he said. “It would give the players necessary exposure and would ensure more competition in the PPFL.
“We’ve spent a lot of money over the last three years to build our side but there is no use if we don’t get the chance to perform at a higher level.”
KESC players Mohammad Essa and Mohammad Rasool echoed Zabe’s views.
Essa criticised AFC’s club competition format, saying that it should follow the structure followed by the UEFA Champions League.
“Such a competition would ensure two clubs from Pakistan would be able to compete in a continental event and in turn it will also help raise the level of competition in Asia,” Essa said. “Or if that can’t be done, there should be a way that we get a chance to play in the President’s Cup where a slot could be created for two teams from each participating country.”
Rasool said that it would help players from Pakistan improve their skills.
“At present, only one team gets a chance to play in Asia so international exposure is very limited,” Rasool said. “If two teams get a chance to play against foreign opponents, it would help players improve a lot.”
The PFF, meanwhile, said that there is a little chance for two teams from the country being able to participate in Asia.
“We can’t ask the AFC to include two of our teams,” PFF secretary Col. Ahmed Yar Khan Lodhi told Dawn. “If KESC want to take part in AFC events, they have to win the league.”—Umaid Wasim