ABBOTTABAD: Balochistan Bazigar and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Falcons Saturday qualified for the Under-23 National Football Championship semifinals by defeating their respective rivals Kashmir Kings and Punjab Warriors.

After a thrilling contest, Balochistan Bazigar defeated Kashmir Kings with 2-1 goals and qualified for the semi-final of the event.

The tournament was organized by Pakistan Football Federation (PPF) under the supervision of Adil Khan Jadoon Organizing Secretary at Kunj Football Stadium Abbottabad.

Balochistan Bazigar footballer Pervez took the lead in the 16th minute by scoring a goal. In the 25th minute, Mustafa of Kashmir Kings scored a goal and levelled the match, then in the 41st minute Muhammad Shakeel of Balochistan Bazigar scored second goal for his team which lasted till the end of the match.

In the second half, Kashmir Kings fought hard to return to the match but could not score any goal due to the excellent defense of Balochistan Bazigar.

The second quarter-final was played between Punjab Warriors and KP Falcons where KP Falcons has beaten Punjab Warriors by 1-0 goals. In the first half, no goal was scored by any team while at the beginning of the second half, KP Falcon’s forward Afaq defeated the defense of rival team through a fantastic move and scored a goal which lasted till the end.