The 2018–19 Pakistan Premier League was the 61st season of Pakistan domestic football and the 12th season of the Pakistan Premier League, and the first season to be played since 2014–15.
The league was reportedly not recognised by FIFA and AFC, as it was organised by two different federations.[4][5][6]Faisal Saleh Hayat controversially-led Pakistan Football Federation, which was internationally recognised, started the league and non-FIFA recognised Ashfaq Hussain Shah group, who was elected PFF president in an election ordered by the Supreme Court a month before the termination of the season completed the event.[4][5][6]
Format and overview
The season was held in Multan, Karachi and Lahore between 25 September and 11 January 2019, with 16 teams participating (12 PPL teams and 4 winner teams of second-tier playoffs).[7] Each team would get to play each other twice, meaning in a season they would play 30 games. The bottom four teams got relegated to the second tier. The team that finished first would get qualification in the AFC Cup, but AFC denied entry of Pakistani football clubs in 2019 AFC Cup because of incomplete licensing regulations due to absence of footballing activity since the end of 2014-15 season.[8]
Controversies
The league was reportedly not recognised by FIFA and AFC, as it was organised by two different federations. Faisal Saleh Hayat controversially-led Pakistan Football Federation, which was internationally recognised, started the league and non-FIFA recognised Ashfaq Hussain Shah group, who was elected PFF president in an election ordered by the Supreme Court a month before the termination of the season completed the event.[4][5][6] The Hayat group also initially ended the league, making final payments and forcing the referees to boycott the remaining matches.[4]
SSGC's promotion was also controversial, occurring through a one-match playoff that violated FIFA and AFC rules on team promotion and relegation.[4] Further complicating matters, one of the promoted teams, Ashraf Sugar Mills, withdrew from the league midway, citing the high costs of competing at the top level. With football effectively stalled in the country for years, SSGC took advantage by recruiting leading players from the Pakistan national team.[4] Once Hayat regained his position as PFF president in March 2018, after a six-month FIFA ban, international players along with team head coach Tariq Lutfi became hesitant to compete in the second division. Consequently, the PFF decided to promote four teams through a single-match playoff, bypassing the second-division league.[4] The leading clubs were also refused a spot in the AFC Cup mainly due to club licensing issues.[5]
The standard of the pitches, the refereeing and the introduction of qualifiers were also criticised along with spectators attacking a referee at Malir, and there was a lack of proper ambulance facilities. Referees also pulled out of the event when the new body took the league control.[5]
However, positive changes introduced were live streaming of matches, subsidy and introduction of match bonuses, 80 percent increase in dailies for referees and match commissioners, fine accommodation for referees and payment of ground fee by the PFF itself. The total cost of the league was 20 million PKR.[5]
Civil Aviation Authority, Sui Southern Gas Company, Ashraf Sugar Mills and Sui Northern Gas Company won their matches and promoted to Pakistan Premier League.
Afghan Chaman against Ashraf Sugar Mills on 22 October 2018
Ashraf Sugar Mills and Pakistan Airlines withdrew from league with former withdrawing after playing first phase in Multan and latter not playing a single match due to financial issues. Baloch Nushki got relegated after failing to win a single match and ended third last in relegation zone with six points from 6 draws. On 9 January 2019, Karachi Port Trust got relegated to Federation League for the first time ever, after they lost 2–0 to Muslim and 12th placed Sui Northern Gas winning their game match 4–3 against Afghan Chaman, leaving Karachi Port Trust 5 points from safe zone with only one match to play.[11]
Khan Research Laboratories won the league on the final match day. Pakistan Airforce were sitting at the top of table with 51 points, one point ahead of Sui Southern Gas and three ahead of Khan Research Laboratories, who both had to face each other on final match day. Sui Southern Gas victory would hand them the title and for Khan Research Laboratories, they to beat the Sui Southern Gas by four goals to secure the title. Khan Research Laboratories the last game of the season, defeating title contenders Sui Southern Gas 4–0, finishing first on goal difference ahead of Pakistan Airforce. This is the smallest title winning margin in the history of Pakistan Premier League, with Khan Research Laboratories winning with a goal difference of just +1, as Pakistan Airforce had a goal difference on +27 and winners Khan Research Laboratories had +28.[12]
Source: Soccerway.com Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) head-to-head points; 3) head-to-head goal difference; 4) goal difference; 5) number of goals scored; 6) drawing of lots (C) Champions; (R) Relegated Notes:
^Ashraf Sugar Mills withdrew from the league due to financial issues. thus their results were annulled against all the teams, as per rules of Pakistan Football Federation.[13]
^PIA didn't send the team for the league owing to financial reasons, though Pakistan Football Federation have not given walkover to any team.
