WAPDA jump to top with narrow win over KPT

KARACHI: Former champions WAPDA jumped to the top spot when they recorded a narrow 1-0 win over Karachi Port Trust (KPT) in their outing of the 12th Pakistan Premier Football League at the Qasim Bagh Stadium in Multan on Sunday night.

At the jam-packed venue, WAPDA hit the winner through their rookie striker Mohammad Khurram in the 72nd minute. Khurram is an under-19 player from Khanewal. “We fully dominated the show,” WAPDA assistant coach Tanvir Ahmed told ‘The News’ on Monday.

WAPDA now have seven points from four matches. “We played three matches against Army, PAF and Afghan FC who were very tough teams. It was not difficult to play against weak KPT who did not even get a corner,” Tanvir said.

He was quick to add, however, that his frontline missed several goal chances. “We could have scored more goals but the frontline did not click. It’s a problem for every team in this event being held under floodlights,” he said.

Tanvir wants his side to be in top four in the initial two rounds.“We want to see our team keep itself in top four till the end of the second round in Lahore. Then we will plan for the third and final round to be held in Karachi,” he added.

Tanvir said they had only one player in the playing XI from the squad which played in the last league held in 2014.KPT are struggling with just one point after playing three matches.The match between Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA) ended in a goalless draw at the same venue.

Both sides played aggressively but failed to strike.SNGPL clung to the second position with six points. PCAA have three points from four matches. There are 16 teams in the event. Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) are yet to report. They have been asked to report for the Lahore round, or they will be scratched from the event. PIA are facing financial issues.