PIA dent PAF’s title chances with goalless draw

KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) dented Pakistan Air Force’s (PAF) title chances when they held them to a goalless draw in their vital match of the Pakistan Premier Football League here at the Korangi Baloch Ground in Sharafi Goth on Friday.
PAF played aggressively but failed to strike due to poor finishing from their depleted frontline which was missing their star player Mansoor Khan and Salman Khan, who were serving one-match suspension due to double booking.
The result left PAF’s head coach Aslam Khan shell-shocked. “I am really disappointed by the way our frontline squandred chances,” Aslam told ‘The News’ after his team’s fifth draw in the season.
Aslam feels that his team is almost out of the title contention. “Only a miracle will bring us back in the title contention. K-Electric and Army are in very good positions,” said Aslam, a former Pakistan goalkeeping coach.
He said that in the absence of Mansoor and Salman they had planned differently. “We had opted to play with 4-1-3-2 formation today but it did not click. Luck also did not favour us because four drives of our players crashed the post,” Aslam said.
He praised PIA’s discarded international gloveman Bilal Rafiq. “Bilal was outstanding today. He saved a few fine goals and frustrated us,” said Aslam, who is acting as head coach in the marathon for the first time in his career.
Aslam was hired by PAF as the coach before the start of the season in place of Shehzad Anwar, who joined Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) for a three-month period to prepare the side for the second-tier league.
PAF have 35 points after 19 outings.
PIA’s coach Shamim Khan was satisfied with the result. “We were missing our key players Nasrullah, Shakir Lashari and Ishtiaq, so I think the draw was enough for us,” Shamim said.
He said that his team played defensively and that worked. He still hopes that his side has a chance to finish among the top three.
“I still hope to finish at the victory stand. We have four matches to play and it has to be seen how our close rivals perform in their remaining matches,” said Shamim, a former international. PIA rose to 31 points from 18 meetings.
On Saturday (today), Baloch FC will face National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) here at Dr Mohammad Ali Shah Stadium, while holders KRL will lock horns with Afghan FC at KPT Sports Complex.