The 2023-24 National Football Challenge Cup came to a thrilling conclusion at Jinnah Stadium in Islamabad on Sunday, May 12, following twelve intense match days of action-packed football.
In the final, WAPDA successfully defended their major trophy by defeating the star-studded SA Gardens with a score of 1-0. The decisive goal came early in the match, with M. Yousaf Ahmed of WAPDA finding the back of the net in the 17th minute after smashing home a deflected freekick by Shayek Dost. SA Gardens fought valiantly, with Murtaza Hussain coming close to equalizing in the game’s dying moments with a volley that narrowly missed the target.
This victory marks WAPDA’s consecutive National Challenge Cup titles, adding to their triumph in 2020 and solidifying their status as a dominant force in national football.
Haroon Malik, the Chairman of the Normalisation Committee graced the final match as the chief guest and presented medals and trophies to the participants. WAPDA captain, Rao Umer Hayat, was recognized as the Best Player of the tournament, while SA Gardens’ goalkeeper, Salman ul Haq ‘Kaka’, earned the title of Best Goalkeeper. Shayek Dost of WAPDA claimed the honor of Best Goalscorer, with HEC being awarded the Fair Play Trophy for their sportsmanship throughout the tournament.
Editor : Kamran Raja