KARACHI: Substitute Abdul Waheed’s sensational goal on a free-kick in the 78th minute helped Habib Bank Limited (HBL) defeat Pakistan Steel by 2-1, in their opening match of the Pakistan Premier Football League held here at the Peoples Stadium on Thursday.

The tall, mighty Waheed, who was sent in place of Bilal Ahmad in the 77th minute, managed a magical angular shot on a free-kick from 22 yards which beat Pakistan Steel’s goalie Syed Najeebul Hassan in the air, providing a sensational 2-1 victory to his side.

“It was a spectacular shot which swung in and I totally failed to judge it rightly as I was not in a good position which was a bit unfortunate for me and also for my team,” Najeebul Hassan told ‘The News’ after the match.

Earlier, HBL got 1-0 down when Pakistan Steel’s Muhammad Ikram scored the quickest goal of the league in the 50th second. But HBL managed to bring an equaliser through Khayyal Muhammad in the 9th minute.

It was a match between two equal sides as Pakistan Steel, who are playing their first ever Premier League after emerging as runners-up in the PFF League (B Division) early this year, have young men with good heights.

Pakistan Steel proved their worth when they took the fastest initiative in the 50th second through Ikram who dribbled past a row of defenders and at the end pushed it soundly in the vacant left post. However their lead did not last long as the injuries-hit bankers scored an equaliser through the experienced striker Khayyal, who took a sharp cross in the 9th minute at his chest and then hammered it past the diving goalie.

In the 39th minute, HBL had another opportunity but Ishtiaq’s left-footer from inside the 18-yard box just missed the right post. Naveed Reza from Pakistan Steel also opted for a stabbing drive just before half time but the HBL goalkeeper was alert enough to gather it.

In the second half, both the teams played in a composed manner, without giving each other any room to get through. However, HBL were able to convert an impossible goal when the substitute Waheed magically struck on a free-kick from a very difficult angle.

“Yes, the win is encouraging and we needed the sort of luck as we got when Abdul Waheed struck on a free-kick. It was an unbelievable left-footer from the young boy. But still we have problems in defence and I hope that they will be overcome as time progresses. Moreover, a few of our main players like Zakir Lashari, Aadil and Abdul Salam are injured and they will be back after a few matches,” HBL coach Yousuf Khan said.

“This is our first ever appearance at such a level and we will learn from our mistakes. We could not recruit any fresh boy since we made it to the Premier League early this year and all this will definitely go against us, but we are, at least, in a position to save ourselves from relegation,” Pakistan Steel coach Syed Ahmad Ali Wasti said.

Today’s fixture: Chaman’s Afghan Club v Lahore’s Pak Elektron Limited (PEL) at Government High School Ground Chaman, Balochistan.