Pakistan head into a must-win World Cup clash against Wales on Monday after a 4-1 defeat by England exposed weaknesses in their defence and left little room for error in Group D.

England produced a mature and controlled performance at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, scoring in every quarter to secure a convincing victory over an inexperienced Pakistan side.

Afraz scored Pakistan’s only goal, offering some relief after England had taken control of the contest.

Pakistan started brightly and created opportunities but failed to convert them. They were also denied by the woodwork on one occasion, while another effort narrowly failed to beat the England goalkeeper.

England, however, maintained possession and dictated the tempo, showing the composure and consistency required in the fast-paced modern game.

Pakistan manager Mohammad Awais Qarni said his side had already identified the mistakes that contributed to the defeat and would now focus entirely on Wales.

“Yes, we are focusing on Wales and it’s a do-or-die match for us,” Awais told The Express Tribune from the Netherlands on Sunday.

“I think we should beat Wales. At the moment we are not thinking about India as our sole focus is on tomorrow’s show.”

Awais acknowledged the pressure on a young Pakistan squad, with many players making their World Cup debut.

“Look, we played well in the first ten minutes and in the last ten minutes against England. You know we have the inexperienced side and most of the players are playing their first World Cup and so there is pressure on them at the biggest stage,” he said.

He added that the team had been encouraged by its chances against England but needed to be more aggressive and clinical.

“Players have the idea where they made mistakes against England. We were also unlucky on certain occasions when we failed to convert chances. Coaches want aggressive display from their charges and let’s see how the boys respond in tomorrow’s game,” Awais said.

Pakistan’s next opponents Wales lost 3-1 to India on Saturday, making Monday’s meeting particularly important for both sides.

The top two teams from Group D will advance to the second stage, while the remaining sides will move into classification matches. Pakistan will face India in their final group game on Wednesday.

In the other Group D fixture on Monday, India will face England in another important encounter.

In another men’s World Cup match on Sunday, hosts Belgium beat France 3-2 at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Belgium.

Alexander Hendrickx, Nelson Onana and Roman Duvekot scored for Belgium, while Eliot Curty and Florent Vaal replied for France.

Belgium led 2-1 after three quarters before Hendrickx scored in the final quarter to secure the victory.

In the women’s tournament, England opened their Group D campaign with a 4-0 victory over South Africa at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen.