PESHAWAR - PFF Tigers and NBP registered victories against their respective rivals in the ongoing 28th PFF National Challenge Football Cup here at Tehmas Khan Football Stadium on Wednesday.

In the first match of the day’s proceedings PFF Tigers upset Pakistan Police by 2-0. After the goal-less first-half PFF Tigers took the lead in the 64th minute when right winger Ali Raza slammed in a beautiful goal on the field attempt. It was an excellent left winger Sajid cross toward right Winger Ali Raza who dodged two defenders before dispatching the ball into the goal-post to make the tally 1-0.

After taking lead, PFF Tiger kept up pressure and succeeded in doubling the lead through another promising forward Imran Hussain. Unmarked Imran was in front of the goal-post and when he got a cross send in right winger Ali Raza and he did nothing wrong in making the tally 2-0. Police tried their hard to reduce the margin but they were failed.

In the second match NBP edged past Asia Gee Mills by 2-1. NBP took the lead in the 20th minute when center striker Maqsood slammed in a beautiful goal on the field attempt but after a 10-minute Asia Gee Mills succeeded in leveling the tally 1-1 when right winger Muhammad Asim scored the equalizer.

At the end of the first session, both the teams were locked 1-1. It was the second session in which NBP dominated the proceedings and center striker Sher Ali made it 2-1 through field goal conversion. Asia Gee Mills tried their hard to level the tally 2-2 but failed and thus NBP won the match by 2-1.

Former International Footballer Zahir Ul Khair and Secretary Peshawar District Football Association Haji Hidayat Ullah Khan graced the occasion as guests.Before the start of the matches, the players of PFF Tigers, Pakistan Police, NBP and Asia Gee Mills, Bahawalpur were introduced to the guests. In his brief speech, Zahid Ul Khair, who played for NBP, lauded PFF for holding the National Challenge Football Cup in which all the top departmental teams were taking part.

He said it was good to see the PFF Tigers team part of the Cup in which players out of the recently held City Football League selected purely on merit. Providing due opportunities to the upcoming talent of football would help in promoting the game across the country. He lauded the PFF for holding the national football event with floodlight facilities in Tehmas Khan Football Stadium for the very first time in Peshawar’s history.