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.

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.

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. 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. 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.

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. It was contested annually at single host cities, with group phases leading into knockouts.

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. In 2005 the federation launched the National Challenge Cup, often promoted in contemporary reports as an inaugural tournament, although it effectively represented a rebranded continuation of the earlier President’s PFF Cup. 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. 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.

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. 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. 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.

Finals

No.YearChampionScoreRunner-upFinal Venue
Inter-Departmental Championship
11979Sindh Government PressMuslim Commercial BankSukkur
Inter-Provincial Championship
21984Pakistan Airlines2–1BalochistanQuetta
31985Habib Bank Limited0–0 (a.e.t., 4–3 pen)PunjabFaisalabad
President PFF Cup
41987Crescent Textile MillsKarachi Port TrustQuetta
National Departmental Championship
51990Karachi Port TrustHouse Building Finance CorporationKarachi
61991Markers ClubKarachi Port TrustQuetta
Pakistan Inter-Departmental Championship
71992Crescent Textile MillsMarkers ClubLahore
81993National BankPakistan SteelBahawalpur
91994Frontier ConstabularyPakistan AirforceGujranwala
President PFF Cup
101996Allied Bank Limited3–1Pakistan ArmyQuetta
111998Allied Bank Limited1–0Karachi Port TrustKMC Stadium, Karachi
121999Allied Bank Limited1–1 (a.e.t., 5–4 pen)Khan Research LaboratoriesGovernment High School, Chaman
132000Pakistan Army1–0Allied Bank LimitedPeshawar
142001Pakistan ArmyKhan Research LaboratoriesBahawalpur
152002Allied Bank Limited1–1 (a.e.t., 4–2 pen)WAPDAPeople Football Stadium, Karachi
162003PTCL1–1Karachi Port TrustSadiq Shaheed Ground, Quetta
National Challenge Cup
172005PTCL2–1WAPDAArmy Sports Complex, Rawalpindi
182008Pakistan Navy3–1Khan Research LaboratoriesPeople's Football Stadium, Karachi
192009Khan Research Laboratories1–0Pakistan AirlinesHyderabad
202010Khan Research Laboratories4–0Pakistan NavyQilla Kuhna Qasim Bagh, Multan
212011Khan Research Laboratories1–0K-ElectricBohranwali Ground, Faisalabad
222012Khan Research Laboratories0–0 (a.e.t., 3–1 pen)K-ElectricKPT Stadium, Karachi
232013National Bank1–0K-ElectricDring Stadium, Bahawalpur
242014Pakistan Air Force3–1 (a.e.t)K-ElectricKPT Stadium, Karachi
252015Khan Research Laboratories3–0Pakistan AirlinesRailway Stadium, Lahore
PFF Cup
262016Khan Research Laboratories1–0National BankPunjab Stadium, Lahore
National Challenge Cup
272018Pakistan Air Force2–1WAPDAKPT Stadium, Karachi
282019Pakistan Army3–2Sui Southern GasTehmas Khan Football Stadium, Peshawar
292020WAPDA1–0Sui Southern GasPunjab Stadium, Lahore
302023–24WAPDA1–0SA GardensJinnah Stadium, Islamabad
312026WAPDA1–0Khan Research LaboratoriesKPT Stadium, Karachi

Wins by club

ClubWinsWinning years
Khan Research Laboratories62009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2016
Allied Bank Limited41996, 1998, 1999, 2002
Pakistan Army32000, 2001, 2019
WAPDA2020, 2023–24, 2026
Crescent Textile Mills21987, 1992
National Bank1993, 2013
Pakistan Airforce2014, 2018
PTCL2003, 2005
Frontier Constabulary11994
Habib Bank1985
Karachi Port Trust1987
Marker Club1991
Pakistan Navy2008
Pakistan Airlines1984
Sindh Government Press1979

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.

Results by team
ClubWinsFirst final wonLast final wonRunners-upLast final lostTotal final appearances
Khan Research Laboratories6200920164200811
Allied Bank Limited419962002120005
Pakistan Army320002019119964
WAPDA320202026420187
National Bank219932013220164
Pakistan Air Force220142018120103
Crescent Textile Mills2198719920–2
PTCL2200320050–2
Karachi Port Trust119871987320034
Habib Bank1198519850–2
Marker Club119911991119922
Pakistan Airlines119841984120153
Pakistan Navy120082008120102
Frontier Constabulary1199419940–1
Sindh Government Press1197919790–1
K-Electric0––420144
Sui Southern Gas0––220202
Muslim Commercial Bank0––119791
Pakistan Steel0––119931
SA Gardens0––12023–241
House Building Finance Corporation0––119901

Giant killings

In 2009, non-league side Sindh Government Press defeated top-flight National Bank by 3–2 in group stages. 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. 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

Individual

All rounds

Notes