Pakistan has advanced to the final of the Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Malaysia in the semifinal at the National Hockey Training Centre in Dazhou, China, on Friday.
This thrilling win means the Pakistan vs Japan hockey final will decide the title on Sunday. The victory caps a remarkable run for the young Pakistani squad, which has shown exceptional form throughout the tournament.
They began their Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup campaign with a resounding 8-0 win over Hong Kong. That was followed by a crushing 9-0 victory against Sri Lanka in their second group match.
In their third match, they defeated Bangladesh 6-3, virtually securing a place in the semifinals. In the quarterfinals, Pakistan outclassed China 2-1 in a commanding performance to seal a place among the final four.
That match was critical in ensuring Pakistan reached the Hockey Cup final with an unbeaten record.
It is pertinent to mention that the Green Shirts will face Japan in the grand finale of the tournament on Sunday at the same venue. The high-stakes Hockey final match, Pakistan vs Japan, is expected to be fiercely contested.
Pak beat China in the quarterfinal.
Earlier, continuing their unbeaten run in the Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup, Pakistan secured a commanding 2-1 victory over China to qualify for the semifinals.
The Green Shirts got off to a flying start to the high-stakes clash as Hassan Shahbaz netted the opener in just the 11th minute through a field goal. The scoreline remained intact at 1-0 until halftime despite four penalties shared between the two teams in an eventful second quarter.
The goal drought eventually culminated late in the third quarter when Ali Hanzala doubled Pakistan’s lead through another well-executed field goal. China, however, was quick to pull one back as Jiaxing Lin converted a penalty corner in the same minute.
The hosts then made several efforts to net the equalizer. Still, Pakistan goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa denied them any chance of forcing their way back into the game, ensuring the scoreline remained intact at 2-1.
The victory extended Pakistan’s unbeaten run to four matches as they topped Group A standings with 12 points and a goal difference of 21, scoring 25 while conceding only four.
The Hockey final match, Pakistan vs Japan, now awaits the Green Shirts after their consistent dominance. The Green Shirts will face Malaysia in the semifinal, scheduled to be played at the same venue on Friday.
This match would eventually decide the Pakistan vs Japan hockey final after Pakistan’s heroic performance. Pakistan started their Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup campaign with a ruthless 8-0 victory over Hong Kong before routing Sri Lanka 9-0.
In their third match, they faced Bangladesh and secured a 6-3 victory. This win brought them close to semifinal qualification. The team continued their strong performance throughout the Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup. Remaining unbeaten, they confirmed their place in the final.
Pakistan Squad for Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup:
Mohammad Usman, Atif Ali, Asam Junaid, Mohammad Abdullah Farooq, Abdullah Awan, Zubair Lateef and Mohammad Yaseen. The other are Mohammad Ali Taj, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Hamza, Ali Hamzad, Aamir Sohail, Adeel Afzal, Mohammad Zaman, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Shaheer, Hasan Shahbaz, Yaseen Jamshaid
