PFF National Challenge Cup

The PFF National Challenge Cup is an annual

Introduced in 1979 to offer nationwide competition to departmental selections and armed forces teams excluded from the national football league then called the National Football Championship, the event was named as Inter Departmental Championship. However, due to internal conflicts within the PFF, the second edition occurred only in 1984 and was rebranded as the Inter Provincial Championship.^[1] Although the four provincial teams were allowed to participate, they were not factored into the final ranking in both the 1984 and 1985 tournaments. Only since 1990 has the tournament been held regularly, albeit undergoing frequent name changes.^[1]

Although it is an annual competition, it has not been held on a few occasions. The competition was not held from (1980–83, 1986, 1988–89, 1995, 1997, 2004, 2006–07, 2017, 2021–22).^[1]

Names

Finals

Wins by club

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]

Giant killings

The possibility of unlikely victories in the earlier rounds of the competition, where lower ranked teams beat higher placed opposition in what is known as a "giant killing", is much anticipated by the public. Such upsets are considered an integral part of the tradition and prestige of the competition, and the attention gained by giant-killing teams can be as great as that for winners of the cup.

In

• Most wins: 6,
  2016
  )
• Most consecutive wins: 4,
  Khan Research Laboratories (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
  )
• Most consecutive/uninterrupted years as National Football Challenge Cup Champions: 6, Sindh Government Press (1979–1984)
• Most Final appearances without ever winning: 4,
  K-Electric (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
  )
• Most Final appearances without ever losing: 4,
  Khan Research Laboratories (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
  )
• Most Final 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)^[11]
• Most goals in a final: 4, joint record:
  • Allied Bank 3–1 Pakistan Army (1996)
  • Khan Research Laboratories (2008
    )
  • Khan Research Laboratories 4–0 Pakistan Navy (2010
    )
  • K-Electric (2014
    )
• Most defeats: 4, joint record:
  • K-Electric (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
    )
  • WAPDA F.C. (1984, 2002, 2005, 2018)

Individual

• Most wins by manager: 4,
  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) (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 v.
  Khan Research Laboratories
  (1999; Allied Bank 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,
  Group Stages, 2 February 2023
  )
• Most consecutive games without defeat: 25,
  Khan Research Laboratories (Group Stages, 2010 through Group stage, 2013
  . Won three National Football Challenge Cup.)
• Most consecutive games without defeat: 25,
  Khan Research Laboratories (Group Stages, 2010 through Group stage, 2013
  . Won three National Football Challenge Cup.)
• Fastest hat-trick: 5 minutes 51 sec, 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,
  K-Electric, 2012
  .
• Most goals by a player in a single National Challenge Cup game: 6, joint-record:
  • 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)
  • Civil Aviation Authority v. Pakistan Railways, Group stage, 22 July 2019
    )