 | |
| Organiser(s) | Pakistan Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1979 (1979) |
| Region | Pakistan |
| Teams | 12 |
| Related competitions | National Football Championship |
| Current champions | WAPDA (3rd title) |
| Most championships | Khan Research Laboratories (6 titles) |
 2026 National Challenge Cup | |
The National Challenge Cup is an annual knockout football competition in men's domestic Pakistani football within the Pakistan football league system. It is organized by and named after the Pakistan Football Federation. Initially named as Inter Departmental Championship, it was introduced in 1979 as a football tournament for departmental selections and armed forces teams excluded from the National Football Championship of Pakistan.1
Khan Research Laboratories have won the most titles (six). WAPDA are the current champions, winning the 2026 edition.
Background
Inter-Departmental Championship (1979)
The Inter-Departmental Championship was introduced in 1979 to offer nationwide competition to departmental selections and armed forces teams excluded from the National Football Championship.1
Inter-Provincial Championship (1984–1985)
Due to internal conflicts within the PFF, the second and third editions occurred in 1984 and 1985, rebranded as the Inter Provincial Championship.1 Although provincial teams were allowed to participate, they were reportedly not factored into the final ranking in both the 1984 and 1985 tournaments. The winners of both editions, Pakistan Airlines in 1984, and Habib Bank Limited in 1985 were given a slot in the Asian Champion Club Tournament, marking Pakistan domestic teams debut in Asian club competitions.2 Later on, the winners of the National Football Championship, a separate tournament, represented Pakistan in Asian competitions.
Frequent changes (1987–1994)
In the 1980s and early 1990s, the tournament was held irregularly, undergoing frequent name changes.1note 1
President PFF Cup (1996–2003)
From 1996, the President's PFF Cup succeeded the earlier National Departmental Championship as the country's principal departments-only knockout tournament, ran in parallel from the National Football Championship which featured provinces and departments, and served as the second most important national football tournament after the National Championship.3 It was contested annually at single host cities, with group phases leading into knockouts.4
National Challenge Cup (2005–present)
The Pakistan Football Federation under new elected body headed by president Faisal Saleh Hayat abolished the President's PFF Cup along with the National Football Championship in 2004, to a national league.35 In 2005 the federation launched the National Challenge Cup, often promoted in contemporary reports as an inaugural tournament,678 although it effectively represented a rebranded continuation of the earlier President’s PFF Cup.9 The competition continued the departments-only format of the former President PFF Cup, with some exceptions. In 2005, the restructured Challenge Cup briefly admitted club sides in the preliminary stage before the seeded departments entered later rounds.710 In 2020, under the FIFA-appointed PFF Normalisation Committee, the field was enlarged to 28 teams and for the first time in over a decade included both departments and private clubs, in an effort to revive competition during administrative suspension and the COVID-19 pandemic.11
Since then, it has been branded as National Challenge Cup, with the exception of the 2016 PFF Cup, organised by the Lahore High Court appointed PFF administrator Justice Asad Munir.1213 The National Challenge Cup scheduled for April 2016 was later called off due to lack of sponsorship, leaving the PFF Cup as the only national knockout event that year.14 In 2017, with the Pakistan Football Federation still paralysed by internal disputes and official competitions suspended, National Bank of Pakistan organised the 2017 NBP President’s Cup, although not recognised as an official Pakistan cup competition, it functioned as a substitute competition during the hiatus.15
Finals
- Wins by club
| Club | Wins | Winning years |
|---|---|---|
| Khan Research Laboratories | 6 | 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016 |
| Allied Bank Limited | 4 | 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002 |
| Pakistan Army | 3 | 2000, 2001, 2019 |
| WAPDA | 2020, 2023–24, 2026 | |
| Crescent Textile Mills | 2 | 1987, 1992 |
| National Bank | 1993, 2013 | |
| Pakistan Airforce | 2014, 2018 | |
| PTCL | 2003, 2005 | |
| Frontier Constabulary | 1 | 1994 |
| Habib Bank | 1985 | |
| Karachi Port Trust | 1987 | |
| Marker Club | 1991 | |
| Pakistan Navy | 2008 | |
| Pakistan Airlines | 1984 | |
| Sindh Government Press | 1979 |
Results by team
Since its establishment, the National Challenge Cup has been won by 15 different teams. Teams shown in italics are no longer in existence.1
| Club | Wins | First final won | Last final won | Runners-up | Last final lost | Total final appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khan Research Laboratories | 6 | 2009 | 2016 | 4 | 2008 | 11 |
| Allied Bank Limited | 4 | 1996 | 2002 | 1 | 2000 | 5 |
| Pakistan Army | 3 | 2000 | 2019 | 1 | 1996 | 4 |
| WAPDA | 3 | 2020 | 2026 | 4 | 2018 | 7 |
| National Bank | 2 | 1993 | 2013 | 2 | 2016 | 4 |
| Pakistan Air Force | 2 | 2014 | 2018 | 1 | 2010 | 3 |
| Crescent Textile Mills | 2 | 1987 | 1992 | 0 | – | 2 |
| PTCL | 2 | 2003 | 2005 | 0 | – | 2 |
| Karachi Port Trust | 1 | 1987 | 1987 | 3 | 2003 | 4 |
| Habib Bank | 1 | 1985 | 1985 | 0 | – | 2 |
| Marker Club | 1 | 1991 | 1991 | 1 | 1992 | 2 |
| Pakistan Airlines | 1 | 1984 | 1984 | 1 | 2015 | 3 |
| Pakistan Navy | 1 | 2008 | 2008 | 1 | 2010 | 2 |
| Frontier Constabulary | 1 | 1994 | 1994 | 0 | – | 1 |
| Sindh Government Press | 1 | 1979 | 1979 | 0 | – | 1 |
| K-Electric | 0 | – | – | 4 | 2014 | 4 |
| Sui Southern Gas | 0 | – | – | 2 | 2020 | 2 |
| Muslim Commercial Bank | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1979 | 1 |
| Pakistan Steel | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1993 | 1 |
| SA Gardens | 0 | – | – | 1 | 2023–24 | 1 |
| House Building Finance Corporation | 0 | – | – | 1 | 1990 | 1 |
Giant killings
In 2009, non-league side Sindh Government Press defeated top-flight National Bank by 3–2 in group stages.16 In 2011, second-division club Ashraf Sugar Mills defeated Pakistan Premier League winners WAPDA F.C. by 1–0, and they repeated the feat again in the group stages, defeating National Bank from Pakistan Premier League by 2–0, as they finished top of the group.17 In 2012, second-division side Pakistan Public Work Department defeated Pakistan Air Force by 2–0 in group stages. In 2013, Pak Afghan Clearing defeated league winners and defending champions Khan Research Laboratories by 2–1. At the 2023–24 PFF National Challenge Cup, Higher Education Commission, an ad-hoc team of players from different universities and colleges around Pakistan defeated Khan Research Laboratories at the quarterfinals by 1–0 at the stoppage time.
Records and statistics
Final
- Most wins: 6, Khan Research Laboratories (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016)
- Most consecutive wins: 4, Khan Research Laboratories (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
- Most consecutive/uninterrupted years as National Challenge Cup Champions: 6, Sindh Government Press (1979–1984)
- Most appearances without winning: 4, K-Electric (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
- Most appearances without losing: 4, Khan Research Laboratories (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
- Most appearances without losing (streak): 4, Khan Research Laboratories (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012)
- Longest gap between wins: 20 years, National Bank (1993–2013)1
- Biggest win: 4 goals, Khan Research Laboratories 4–0 Pakistan Navy (2010)18
- Most goals in a final: 4, joint record:
- Most defeats: 4, joint record:
- K-Electric (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014)
- WAPDA F.C. (1984, 2002, 2005, 2018)
Individual
- Most wins by manager: 4, Tariq Lutfi (Khan Research Laboratories) (2011, 2012, 2015, 2016),
- Most goals (one final): 2, joint record:
- Sajjad Ahmed (Pakistan Navy) (2008)
- Izharullah Khan (Khan Research Laboratories) (2015)
- Most finals scored in: 2, joint record:
- Haroon Yousaf (Allied Bank Limited) (1 each in 1996 & 1998)
- Muhammad Mujahid (Pakistan Air Force) (1 each in 2014 & 2018)
- Most goals scored: 23, Muhammad Rasool
All rounds
- Biggest win: City Football Club 2–18 Wohaib (2005)
- Biggest away win: City Football Club 2–18 Wohaib (2005)
- Most clubs competing for trophy in a season: 28 (2020)
- Longest penalty shootout: 5 penalties each, Allied Bank Limited v. Khan Research Laboratories (1999; Allied Bank Limited won 5–4)
- Most rounds played in a season: 3, for:
- Bhatti United (2016: Qualifying Round – Knockout stages, 1st–3rd Rounds)
- Karachi United (2016: Qualifying Round – Knockout stages, 1st–3rd Rounds)
- Sui Southern Gas (2016: Qualifying Round – Knockout stages, 1st–3rd Rounds)
- Most games played in a season: 7, Karachi United (2016: three matches Qualifying Group stages, three Proper Group stages, one Quarter-finals)
- Fastest goal: 37 seconds, Ahmed Faheem (for WAPDA v. Saif Textile, Group Stages, 2 February 2023)19
- Most consecutive games without defeat: 25, Khan Research Laboratories (Group Stages, 2010 through Group stage, 2013. Won three National Challenge Cup.)
- Most consecutive games without defeat: 25, Khan Research Laboratories (Group Stages, 2010 through Group stage, 2013. Won three National Challenge Cup.)
- Fastest hat-trick: 5 minutes, Umair Ali (for Higher Education Commission v. DFA Bahawalpur, Group Stages, 19 May 2013)
- Most goals by a player in a single National Challenge Cup season: 10, Muhammad Rasool (for K-Electric, 2012.
- Most goals by a player in a single National Challenge Cup game: 6, joint-record:
- Kaleemullah Khan (for Khan Research Laboratories in 8–0 defeat of Ashraf Sugar Mills, Group Stages, 16 May 2013)
- Umair Ali (for Higher Education Commission v. DFA Bahawalpur, Group Stages, 19 May 2013)
- Muhammad Waheed (for Civil Aviation Authority v. Pakistan Railways, Group stage, 22 July 2019)
Notes
Notes
- RSSSF records possibly conflate tournaments: the 1987 edition may have been part of the National Football Championship, while the 1992, 1993, and 1994 editions likely corresponded to the National B-Division Football Championship, which at the time functioned as the second tier of the league system under promotion and relegation. "Pakistan - List of Champions". www.rsssf.org. Retrieved 2025-09-19.
References
References
- Naveed, Malik Riaz Hai; Wahidi, Syed Akber Ali (14 February 2019). "Pakistan – List of Cup Winners". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- Ahsan, Ali (2010-12-23). "A history of football in Pakistan — Part III". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 2025-03-21.
- "PFF abolishes national championship". Dawn. 2004-01-10. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "President soccer from Oct 25". Dawn. 2001-10-08. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "National soccer league kicks off from May 28". Dawn. 2004-05-14. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "Elimination phase starts from today". Dawn. 2005-06-24. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "National Challenge Cup from May 25". Dawn. 2005-05-11. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "Challenge Cup soccer". Dawn. 2005-06-01. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "Giving local football a helping hand". jang.com.pk. 2007-07-15. Retrieved 2026-03-26.
- "Challenge Cup kicks off on June 1". Dawn. 2005-05-25. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- Tatheer (2020-11-21). "National Challenge Cup from November 30". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2025-09-20.
- Wasim, Umaid (2016-01-27). "'LHC empowered administrator to hold PFF Cup'". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- Reporter, The Newspaper's Sports (2016-01-14). "PFF Cup to kick off on 28th". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "National Challenge Cup to be called off". The Express Tribune. 2016-03-30. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- Wasim, Umaid (2017-01-18). "Coaches call for increased prize money as NBP President's Cup kicks off". Dawn. Retrieved 2025-09-18.
- "Pakistan 2008/09". RSSSF. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
- "Pakistan 2010/11". RSSSF. Retrieved 2022-12-23.
- Naveed, Malik Riaz Hai (17 August 2006). "Pakistan 2005 (National Tournaments)". RSSSF. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
- "KRL, Army match ends in goalless draw". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 2024-06-02.