Lahore, 31 July : National Champions 2007 Sports Sciences and Khyber Pakhtoon Khawa (formerly NWFP) won honors in Group-D and entered the quarter-finals of the sixth National Women Football Championship last night at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad. They joined Islamabad, Diya FC, Pakistan WAPDA, Frontier Women College in the last eight.
The League matches have been completed on Saturday, followed by Quarter-finals on 1, 2 August. The semi-finals are being scheduled for 4 August while third-place match and final will be played on 5 August.
Sports Sciences of Lahore clinched quarter-final spot with impressive 4-0 win over depleted Azad Jammu & Kashmir in Group-D. It was their second straight win that saw the University girls leading 1-0 at Interval. Their prominent goal-scoring striker Shagufa Akhter opened the scoring in the 14th minute from the free-kick. Winger Aysha Hassan doubled the lead in the 41st minute. Midfielder Samia Ehsan dashed through the middle to enhance the lead further to 3-0 and it was left to substitute Hira Dawood to round off the tally off Samia’s through pass three minutes from time. The quarter-finalist from the Group-D were Sports Sciences and KP while in the last match of Group-A saw Islamabad overcoming Diya FC in thrilling, absordbing 4-3 finish. It was interesting seven goal drama between the two teams who had already assured entry into last eight.
Mezjgaan Orakzai – daughter of IFA President Dr. Fazal Ur Rehman – dominated the proceedings in the initial stage with two breath taking goal inside five minutes. She landed opener in the third minute off Muneza Shahid’s lob pass and made it 2-0 85 seconds later with solo erffort. But Diya staged remarkable recovery and neutralized both the goals. Opportunist striker Hajra Khan pulled one back in the 11th minute and midfielder Maryam Laghari’s long range 25-metre drive in the 14th minute brought the scoreline to 2-2. Hajra struck her second in the 25th minute as Diya led 3-2 at interval. Islamabad were dominant force in second session and Abeha Haider showed her class with classical goals in the 58th and 60th minute to turn tide and provided Islamabad exciting 4-3 win.
Sunday (1 August) Fixtures : Islamabad v Khyber Pakhtoonkhawa (Quarter-final 1, Jinnah Stadium 4.45 PM), Sports Sciences v Diya FC (Quarter-final 2, Ground No.2, 4.45 PM)
