LAHORE National Champions of 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 at Jinnah Stadium, Islamabad. They joined Islamabad, Diya FC, Pakistan WAPDA, Frontier Women College in the last eight.The League matches were completed on Saturday, followed by the quarterfinals on 1 and 2 August. The semi-finals are scheduled for 4 August while the third-place match and the final will be played on 5 August.
Sports Sciences of Lahore clinched the quarterfinal spot with an impressive 4-0 win over depleted Azad Jammu & Kashmir in Group-D. It was their second straight win that saw their team leading 1-0 at half time. Their prominent goal-scoring striker Shagufa Akhter opened the scoring in the 14th minute from a free-kick. Winger Aysha Hassan doubled the lead just before half time, 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 pass three minutes from time.
The other quarterfinalist from Group-D were KP while in the last match of Group-A Islamabad overcame Diya FC in a thrilling 4-3 win. It was an interesting seven goal drama between the two teams who had already booked their quarterfinal spots earlier.
Mezjgaan Orakzai dominated the proceedings in the initial stages with two breath taking goals inside five minutes. She landed the opener in the third minute off Muneza Shahid's low pass and made it 2-0 85 seconds later with a solo effort. But Diya staged a 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 equalized the score. Hajra struck her second in the 25th minute as Diya led 3-2 at half time. Islamabad were the dominant force in the second half and Abeha Haider showed her class with classical goals in the 58th and 60th minute to turn the tide and provided Islamabad an exciting 4-3 win.
Sundays 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) - PPI