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2023–24 National Football Challenge Cup
Football tournament season From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The 2023–2024 National Football Challenge Cup was the 30th edition of domestic football cup competition in Pakistan. The cup competition, which ran from 24 January 2023 until 12 May 2024, featured 27 departmental teams from across the country vying for the title, which was defended by the 2020 champions WAPDA.
Initially scheduled to be held throughout 2023, the second phase was held in May 2024 after almost 15 months of inactivity.[1]
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Background
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The tournament took place after a gap of nearly three-and-a-half years because of the Pakistan Football Federation's suspension by FIFA due to a power struggle within the Pakistan Football Federation. FIFA lifted the ban imposed on PFF after the legitimate Normalization Committee body was restored.[2]
The tournament was announced briefly after departmental sports in Pakistan were restored in August 2022 by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Many of the departmental clubs were disbanded following the shutdown of departmental sports in Pakistan in September 2021.[2][3][4] Departmental teams were then restricted to the National Football Challenge Cup, following their controversial participation in the Pakistani domestic league setup in the previous years.[5][6] A PFF official stated that from now on, there will be separate competitions for departments and clubs. When a domestic league is held, it will be solely for clubs.[5]
The PFF Constitution stated that all departmental players need to be “affiliated with a club”, with some teams taking advantage of it such as POPO FC, which had their team playing the Challenge Cup under the department with the name of Mamsons Builders.[5] Lyallpur FC competed under the name of Otto Cranes.
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Format
In the first phase, teams, bracketed in seven groups, competed on home and away basis. The leading two teams from each group and the two best third-placed sides progressed to the round of 16. The first phase was held at Karachi, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Chaman, Rawalpindi and Islamabad simultaneously.[6]
The second phase was set to be conducted from May 1 to 12 in 2023 at a centre yet to be decided.[6] It was postponed to kick off on the 21st of October until 6 November 2023.[7] After an uncertain inactivity almost 15 months after it began, the National Challenge Cup knockout stage was finally announced to reach its end in Lahore from May 1 to 12 in 2024.[1] The venue was ultimately shifted to Islamabad, with Jinnah Stadium hosting the semifinals and final, and the group stage and the rest of knockout round at local nearby grounds.[8]
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Teams
The 27 teams participating in the tournament are as below:[6]
- Khan Research Laboratories
- WAPDA
- Pakistan Air Force
- Gwadar Port Authority
- Pakistan Navy
- Pakistan Army
- Pakistan Police
- Hazara Coal Company
- Asia Ghee Mills
- POF Wah
- Ashraf Sugar Mills
- NIMSO
- Otto Cranes (Lyallpur FC)
- Masha United
- Pak Afghan Clearing Agency
- SA Gardens
- Saif Textiles
- Muslim Hands
- Hussain Homes Textiles
- MILO
- Klash Mills
- Mamsons Builders (POPO FC)
- WSTC
- BHCC
- SA Farms
- Pakistan Railways
- Higher Education Commission
First phase
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Group A
Gwadar Port Authority withdrew due to their internal issues.[9]
KPT Stadium, Karachi
KPT Stadium, Karachi
Group B
Updated to match(es) played on 14 February 2023. Source: PFF (Twitter)
Essa Khan Football Ground, Chaman
Ayub National Stadium, Quetta
Ayub National Stadium, Quetta
Ayub National Stadium, Quetta
Essa Khan Football Ground, Chaman
Ayub National Stadium, Quetta
Yazdan Khan Model High School, Quetta
Yazdan Khan Model High School, Quetta
Ayub National Stadium, Quetta
Ayub National Stadium, Quetta
Essa Khan Football Ground, Chaman
Group C
Updated to match(es) played on 14 February 2023. Source: PFF (Twitter)
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Gulzar Sadiq Park, Bahawalpur
Group D
Updated to match(es) played on 14 February 2023. Source: PFF (Twitter)
Panther Ground, Faisalabad
Panther Ground, Faisalabad
Panther Ground, Faisalabad
Dhanola Ground, Faisalabad
Panther Ground, Faisalabad
Dhanola Ground, Faisalabad
Dhanola Ground, Faisalabad
Agriculture University Ground, Faisalabad
Agriculture University Ground, Faisalabad
Panther Ground, Faisalabad
Panther Ground, Faisalabad
Agriculture University Ground, Faisalabad
Group E
Updated to match(es) played on 14 February 2023. Source: PFF (Twitter)
Railway Stadium, Lahore
SA Garden Ground, Lahore
SA Gardens Stadium, Lahore
Fame Football Ground, Lahore
Punjab University Football Ground, Lahore
Punjab University Football Ground, Lahore
Punjab University Football Ground, Lahore
Fame Football Ground, Lahore
Fame Football Ground, Lahore
SA Gardens Stadium, Lahore
Punjab University Football Ground, Lahore
Punjab University Football Ground, Lahore
Group F
Updated to match(es) played on 14 February 2023. Source: PFF (Twitter)
KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi
Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi
Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi
Army Stadium, Rawalpindi
KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi
POF Ground, Wah Cantt
POF Ground, Wah Cantt
Army Stadium, Rawalpindi
Army Stadium, Rawalpindi
Municipal Stadium, Rawalpindi
KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi
POF Ground, Wah Cantt
Group G
Updated to match(es) played on 14 February 2023. Source: PFF (Twitter)
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
PAF Complex, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
PAF Complex, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
Tehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
PAF Complex, Peshawar
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Second phase
Group A
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: GSA
Group B
Updated to match(es) played on 5 May 2024. Source: GSA
Group C
Updated to match(es) played on 6 May 2024. Source: GSA
Group D
Updated to match(es) played on 6 May 2024. Source: GSA
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Knockout round
Bracket
Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Final | ||||||||
7 May – 15:30 | ||||||||||
Pakistan Army | 1 | |||||||||
10 May – 21:00 | ||||||||||
Pakistan Navy | 0 | |||||||||
Pakistan Army | 0 | |||||||||
8 may – 15:30 | ||||||||||
WAPDA | 2 | |||||||||
WAPDA | 1 | |||||||||
12 May – 20:30 | ||||||||||
Pakistan Air Force | 0 | |||||||||
WAPDA | 1 | |||||||||
7 May – 15:30 | ||||||||||
SA Gardens | 0 | |||||||||
Khan Research Laboratories | 0 | |||||||||
10 May – 18:00 | ||||||||||
Higher Education Commission | 1 | |||||||||
Higher Education Commission | 0 (2) | |||||||||
8 May – 15:30 | ||||||||||
SA Gardens (p) | 0 (3) | Third place | ||||||||
SA Gardens | 1 | |||||||||
12 May – 17:00 | ||||||||||
WSTC | 0 | |||||||||
Pakistan Army | 4 | |||||||||
Higher Education Commission | 0 | |||||||||
Quarter-finals
Semi-finals
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Third position
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
Final
Jinnah Sports Stadium, Islamabad
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Awards
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References
External links
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