Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) will take on Afghan Football Club in their tie of Pakistan Premier Football League (PPFL) 2008 on Sunday (August 3) at Govt High School, Chaman. The star-studded 29-member team, led former national captain Muhammad Essa, was announced by KRL sports wing incharge and former international defender Muhammad Ayaz Butt.
Essa led Pakistan Under-23 team that won the gold at Colombo's 10th South Asian Games in 2006. The Rawalpindi-based KRL soccer team comprises Muhammad Essa (captain), Adeel Ahmed (vice-captain), Ghulam Nabi, Amir Ali Qureshi, Asim Khurshid, Asad Saeed, Samar Ishaq, Kamran Khan, Muhammad Zeeshan, Ghulam Rabbani, Zia-ul-Rehman, Muhammad Ahmed, Muhammad Shahid, Khalid Sohail, Ghulam Mohiuddin, Shahid Ahmed, Atiqur Rehman, Yasir Afridi, Sajjad Hussain, Zubair Ahmed, Zia-us-Salam, Mustafa Hussain, Tariq Aziz, Sajid Baloch, Ghazi Khan, Muhammad Rasool, Muhammad Qasim, Abid Khan and Jahanzeb Khan.
Sajjad Mahmood Khan and Umer Farooq will act as coach and assistant coach respectively. The KRL team pins hope on Adeel Ahmed, the goal-scoring hero in the final against Sri Lanka in Colombo's final and deep defender Muhammad Ahmed, who belongs to famous Lahore-based Islam family.
Muhammad Ahmed represented Pakistan in five stages - Under-14, Under-17, Under-20, Under-21 and national level. The Kahuta team stood third in the previous four editions of Pakistan premiership from 2004-07. Since making its debut in national soccer 1995, and despite brilliant performances over the years, Rawalpindi's oufit is still looking for their maiden national title.
It was runner up to Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) in the 48th National Soccer at Quetta in 2001, while it was the losing finalist in President PFF Cup (now known as National Football Challenge Cup) thrice losing to Allied Bank Limited (ABL) in 12th edition at Chaman 1999, Army in 14th edition at Bahawalpur 2001 and Navy in 18th edition at Karachi in March last year, said Ayaz who is also KRL's Principal Scientific Officer.
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