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The 2023–2024 PFF National Challenge Cup is the ongoing 30th edition of domestic cup competition in Pakistan. 27 departmental teams are participating in the competition, from 24 January 2023. The cup feature the 27 departmental teams across the country vying for the title, which will be defended by 2020 champions WAPDA.
Initially scheduled to be held throughout 2023, the second knock-out phase will be held in May 2024 after almost 15 months of inactivity.[1]
Background
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 PFF National Challenge Cup, following their controversial participation in the Pakistani domestic league setup in the previous years.[5][6][7] 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.[6]
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.[6]Lyallpur FC competed under the name of Otto Cranes.[8]
Format
In the first phase, teams, bracketed in seven groups, will compete on home and away basis. The leading two teams from each group and the two best third-placed sides will progress to the round of 16. The first phase was held at Karachi, Lahore, Bahawalpur, Faisalabad, Peshawar, Quetta, Chaman, Rawalpindi and Islamabad simultaneously.[7]
The second phase, which will be knock-out, was set to be conducted from May 1 to 12 in 2023 at a centre yet to be decided.[7] It was postponed to kick off on the 21st of October until 6 November 2023.[9] 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, starting with the round of 16.[1] The venue was ultimately shifted to Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad.[10]
Teams
The 27 teams participating in the tournament are as below:[7]
^ a bStaff, Editorial (2024-04-06). "Over a year after it started, Challenge Cup to finally conclude [Dawn]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ a bStaff, Editorial (2022-09-11). "The resumption of football [TNS]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^Staff, Editorial (2022-10-21). "Departments reluctant to form teams before NC calendar [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^Staff, Editorial (2022-12-03). "PFF strives for revival of departmental football [The Nation]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^Staff, Editorial (2022-12-14). "National Challenge Cup 2023 kicks off in January". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^ a b cEditorial Staff (2023-01-25). "Domestic football returns as Challenge Cup kicks off [Dawn]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2023-12-03.
^ a b c dEditorial Staff (2023-01-24). "PFF National Challenge Cup kicks off today [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2023-12-03.
^FootballPakistan.com [@FootballPak] (February 14, 2023). "Some departments are clubs playing under company names: PACA (Pak Afghan Clearing Agency) is Pak Afghan FC Chaman Otto Cranes is Lyallpur FC (ex-WAPDA players from Faisalabad) WSTC (Wasim Shinwari Trading Co.) is Shinwari Storee FC, Peshawar Mamsons Builders is POPO FC" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
^Staff, Editorial (2023-07-20). "PFF announces dates of final round of National Challenge Cup 2023 [The Nation]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
^Staff, Editorial (2024-04-23). "Jinnah Stadium to host Challenge Cup knockouts [Dawn]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-26.
^Staff, Editorial (2023-01-31). "Police edge Navy in Challenge Cup [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2024-04-07.
External links
2023–2024 PFF National Challenge Cup | FootballPakistan.com