KRL hold champions K-Electric in last PPFL show

KARACHI: Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) held champions K-Electric to a 1-1 draw in a high-octane game which ended the 132-match 12-team Pakistan Premier Football League here at KPT Sports Complex on Wednesday.
The draw enabled four-time winners KRL to wrap-up at the sixth spot with 31 points.
K-Electric, who had already emerged as the champions — for the first time in history, finished at the summit with 48 points from 22 matches.
Army ended as the runners-up with 45 points, while Pakistan Air Force (PAF) with 42 points finished third. This is the first time that they have ended at the victory stand.
Railways and Quetta’s Baloch FC were demoted to the second-tier slots. They will be replaced by Nushki’s Baloch FC and Navy in the next season.
Both WAPDA and KRL have won the league four times each, while Army have clinched the title twice.
K-Electric were handed over a glittering trophy, gold medals and a purse of Rs1 million.
Army received the runners-up trophy, silver medals and Rs700,000, while PAF got a trophy, bronze medals and Rs500,000.
Similarly, Rs100,000 was handed over to Mohammad Rasool (leading scorer, K-Electric, 23 goals), Muzammil Hussain (WAPDA, the best goalie), Irshad-ul-Haq (best referee, Rawalpindi) and Mian Mohammad Rizwan (best match commissioner, Lahore).
Strikers Mansoor Khan and Mohammad Mujahid of PAF shared the best player award of Rs150,000.
Majid Khan of Rawalpindi was given the best assistant referee award of Rs50,000.
PIA got the fair-play trophy and Rs100,000.
The prize distribution ceremony was graced by Pakistan Football Federation’s (PFF) secretary Col Ahmed Yar Lodhi, Director Development and Competitions Pervez Saeed Mir, PFF women wing chairperson Rubina Irfan, K-Electric’s Chief HR Asif Manzoor and Pakistan coach Mohammad Shamlan.
Both the teams played aggressively. K-Electric received a heavy blow as they were reduced to ten men when Umar Farooq was sent off for double booking in the 44th minute.
Just before interval, KRL squandered an easy chance when K-Electric’s gloveman Ghulam Nabi had been beaten.
K-Electric got onto the score-sheet in the 52nd minute when Mohammad Rasool converted a penalty.
But ten minutes later, Murtaza Hussain levelled the score for KRL through a fine header.
Before the final whistle, K-Electric could have struck a goal but Wilson Segun’s pile-driver crashed the bar.
K-Electric’s skipper Mohammad Essa said that their hard work finally paid dividend. “After finishing runners-up four times in the National Challenge Cup and two times in the Premier League finally we got our objective,” Essa told ‘The News’.
“We will decide how to prepare for AFC Cup qualifying round when we know about its schedule,” said Essa, a former Pakistan captain.
Nigerian players Wilson Segun and Oludeyi Abayomi Sunday played key role in K-Electric’s victory.
Wilson, who served as a defensive midfielder, was expecting the best player award.
“I was expecting the best player award and I am really disappointed, but it happens,” Wilson told this correspondent.
Essa also backed Wilson. “Wilson deserved the award. Wilson and Oludeyi played a big role in our triumph,” he said.
The leading scorer Mohammad Rasool said it was easy for him to score goals. “I used to play as a sole striker and was facing problems. But this season Oludeyi’s presence helped me and the team as well,” Rasool said.
When asked whether he was upset at not being invited to the national team’s camp for the World Cup qualifiers, Rasool said: “My job is to perform and it is up to coach Shamlan whether he invites me or not,” said Rasool, considered one of the fittest player in the country.
Standings
Team MP W D L Points
K-Electric 22 15 3 4 48
Army 22 13 6 3 45
PAF 22 12 6 4 42
PIA 22 11 5 6 38
WAPDA 22 10 6 6 36
KRL 22 8 7 7 31
NBP 22 8 6 8 30
Muslim FC 22 8 5 9 29
KPT 22 9 2 11 29
Afghan FC 22 6 5 11 23
Railways 22 1 7 14 10
Quetta’s Baloch FC 22 0 4 18 4