# 2018 National Challenge Cup

The 2018 PFF National Challenge Cup was the 27th edition of domestic association football cup competition in Pakistan. 24 teams participated in the competition held from 21 April to 10 May 2018. The Pakistan National Challenge Cup was held in Karachi after FIFA lifted its ban on the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF). The matches were played at the KPT Stadium and the All Brothers Football Stadium, Malir.
The tournament took place after a gap of two years due to a power struggle within the Pakistan Football Federation. The Federation was being run by a court-appointed administrator, whose appointment was declared unlawful by a division bench of the High Court which ordered financial and administrative control to be handed over to the legitimate body headed by Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat. FIFA also lifted the ban imposed on PFF after the legitimate body was restored by the court ruling.
The tournament coincided with the appointment of José Antonio Nogueira as head coach of the Pakistan national football team on 16 April 2018. Nogueira reached Karachi on 26 April to witness the event first-hand.

## Teams

The 24 teams participating in the tournament are as below:
2018 Pakistan National Teams :
| # | Name | # | Name | # | Name | # | Name |
| 1 | K-Electric F.C. | 7 | Pakistan Airlines | 13 | Pakistan Police | 19 | Civil Aviation Authority |
| 2 | WAPDA | 8 | National Bank | 14 | Pakistan Public Works Department | 20 | Karachi United |
| 3 | Pakistan Army | 9 | Sui Northern Gas | 15 | Sindh Government Press | 21 | Hazara Coal |
| 4 | Khan Research Laboratories | 10 | Karachi Port Trust | 16 | Gwadar Port Authority | 22 | Pakistan Ordnance Factories |
| 5 | Pakistan Airforce | 11 | Pakistan Navy | 17 | Sui Southern Gas | 23 | Ashraf Sugar Mills |
| 6 | Falcon | 12 | Pakistan Petroleum | 18 | State Life | 24 | Asia Ghee Mills |

## Group stage
### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Ashraf Sugar Mills | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | National Bank | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Falcon | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | −3 | 1 | |

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Pakistan Navy | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 6 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | Pakistan Airlines | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | +1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Hazara Coal | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | −5 | 0 | |

### Group C

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Pakistan Airforce | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 4 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | State Life | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | −1 | 3 | |
| 3 | Pakistan Police | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 1 | |

### Group D

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Civil Aviation Authority | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | +3 | 6 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | Khan Research Laboratories | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Sindh Government Press | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 | |

### Group E

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Pakistan Petroleum | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | +3 | 6 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | Karachi Port Trust | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Pakistan Public Works Department | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 6 | −5 | 0 | |

### Group F

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | WAPDA | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 6 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | Sui Southern Gas | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | Karachi United | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 | |

### Group G

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Pakistan Army | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | +2 | 6 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | Gwadar Port Authority | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 3 | |
| 3 | Pakistan Ordnance Factories | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | −4 | 0 | |

### Group H

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Asia Ghee Mills | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 4 | Advance to Knockout round |
| 2 | Sui Northern Gas | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | |
| 3 | K-Electric | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | −1 | 1 | |

## Knockout round
### Bracket

| Quarter-finals | Quarter-finals | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| 3 May – 4:00 PM | 3 May – 4:00 PM | | | |
| Ashraf Sugar Mills | 0 | | | |
| Ashraf Sugar Mills | 0 | 7 May – 4:00 PM | 7 May – 4:00 PM | | |
| Pakistan Petroleum | 3 | 7 May – 4:00 PM | 7 May – 4:00 PM | |
| Pakistan Petroleum | 3 | Pakistan Petroleum | 0 | |
| 4 May – 4:00 PM | 4 May – 4:00 PM | | Pakistan Petroleum | 0 | |
| 4 May – 4:00 PM | 4 May – 4:00 PM | WAPDA | 2 | |
| Pakistan Navy | 0 | WAPDA | 2 | |
| Pakistan Navy | 0 | | | | 10 May – 4:00 PM | 10 May – 4:00 PM |
| WAPDA (AET) | 2 | | | | 10 May – 4:00 PM | 10 May – 4:00 PM |
| WAPDA (AET) | 2 | | | | WAPDA | 1 |
| 5 May – 4:00 PM | 5 May – 4:00 PM | | | | | WAPDA | 1 |
| 5 May – 4:00 PM | 5 May – 4:00 PM | | | | Pakistan Airforce | 2 |
| Pakistan Airforce (P) | 0 (4) | | | | Pakistan Airforce | 2 |
| Pakistan Airforce (P) | 0 (4) | 8 May – 4:00 PM | 8 May – 4:00 PM | | | |
| Pakistan Army | 0 (2) | 8 May – 4:00 PM | 8 May – 4:00 PM | | | |
| Pakistan Army | 0 (2) | Pakistan Airforce (P) | 1 (4) | | | |
| 6 May – 4:00 PM | 6 May – 4:00 PM | | Pakistan Airforce (P) | 1 (4) | | | |
| 6 May – 4:00 PM | 6 May – 4:00 PM | Civil Aviation Authority | 1 (3) | | Third place | Third place |
| Civil Aviation Authority | 2 | Civil Aviation Authority | 1 (3) | | Third place | Third place |
| Civil Aviation Authority | 2 | | | | 9 May – 4:00 PM | 9 May – 4:00 PM |
| Asia Ghee Mills | 1 | | | | 9 May – 4:00 PM | 9 May – 4:00 PM |
| Asia Ghee Mills | 1 | | | | Pakistan Petroleum | 5 |
| | | | | | Civil Aviation Authority | 1 |

## Top scorers

    As of 10 May 2018
| Position | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Nazir Ahmed | Pakistan Petroleum | 5 |
| 2 | Abdullah | Pakistan Petroleum | 3 |
| 2 | Mehrullah | Pakistan Petroleum | 3 |
| 4 | Samad Khan | Pakistan Airforce | 2 |
| 4 | Muhammad Ahmed | WAPDA | 2 |
| 4 | Pervez Kouda | Gwadar Port Authority | 2 |
| 4 | Hafiz Hassan Faiz | Pakistan Navy | 2 |
| 4 | Muhammad | Karachi Port Trust | 2 |
| 4 | Zaid Umar | Civil Aviation Authority | 2 |
| 4 | Saeed Abdul Aziz | Civil Aviation Authority | 2 |