NBP hold KPT to 1-1 draw

KARACHI: Late strike from Waseem Qadir enabled National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to hold Karachi Port Trust (KPT) 1-1 in their Group D opener of the NBP All Pakistan Football tournament which kicked off here at the KPT Sports Complex on Tuesday.

Waseem hit the equaliser in the 81st minute.

After a barren first half, KPT had struck through former international Zafar Majeed in the 55th minute.

In another match, Pakistan Steel defeated Karachi United 1-0 with Ubaid Khan scoring the winner in the 77th minute.

In the first half both sides played aggressively but failed to take the lead.

On Wednesday (today), K-Electric face Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at 3pm.

Navy face Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).

In the competitions, 12 departmental teams from across the country are showing their worth. They have been divided in four groups. The top two from each pool will advance to the quarter-finals.

NBP senior vice-president Mudassir Hussain Khan inaugurated the event.

This is the first major event in Karachi since football system collapsed in April 2015 because of a conflict between two groups of Pakistan Football Federation.

Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and WAPDA are also part of the competitions. The two sides, as well as K-Electric, have played in the third-tier club championships of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).