Army struggled against SSGC to be crowned the champions of the 2019 National Football Challenge Cup which successfully concluded at Tehmash Khan Football Stadium in Peshawar.
National Football Challenge Cup 2019
Pakistan Football Federation (PFF) organized National Football Challenge Cup, into the current year which kick started from 19th July and continued till 4th of August at Tehmash Khan Football Stadium in Peshawar.
As many as sixteen teams featured in this tournament, players from whom were seen in complete action against each other, with giving their all so as to earn the ultimate title of the tournament. These teams belonged to sixteen different departments of the nation and were equally divided into groups of four teams each.
Participating teams were: Pakistan Army, Pakistan Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Khan Research Laboratories, Pakistan Railways, Sui Southern Gas Company, National Bank of Punjab, WAPDA, Ashraf Sugar Mills, Pakistan Television, Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority, Pakistan Football Federation Tigers, Karachi Port Trust, Pakistan Police and Karachi United.
Two matches were played every day and League matches were held during the first phase of the tournament. Two teams from each group qualified for the quarterfinals.
GROUP DIVISION
This mega football event offered an attractive prize money of Rupees 1.2 million which was equally divided among the top three position holders that now stands as: Army, SSGC and KRL teams. Pakistan Army team was awarded with the glittering trophy along with Rs. 500,000 while the runner-ups SSGC team bagged Rs. 300,000 and KRL team at third position was awarded Rs. 200,000 as cash prizes.
Apart from the top three position gainers, Best Goal-Keeper bagged 25,000 Rupees, Best Players won 30,000 Rupees, Max Goal Scorer also got 25,000 Rupees and Most Emerging Player received 20,000 Rupees.
The inaugural edition of the tournament was played back in 1979. KRL is the most successful team winning the title six times but could not retain their title this time while Allied Bank won the event four times.
