Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan reached the semi-finals of the FIH Nations Cup on Wednesday, following Malaysia’s victory over Japan in their fixture.

Pakistan’s place in the semis depended on Malaysia’s defeat; yet, Pakistan secured a spot.

Pakistan secured second position in pool B. Both Pakistan and Malaysia had 4 points, and both had an equal number of wins in the cup. Similarly, both had the same goal difference across their three matches.

The turning point for Pakistan was a greater number of goals scored in the tournament. Pakistan scored nine goals in the tournament, while Malaysia scored eight in total.

Pakistan and New Zealand match

New Zealand beat Pakistan after Scott Cosslett’s amazing hat-trick led his team to victory in the FIH Nations Cup on Wednesday at the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

Pakistan dominated the opening quarter, racing to a 3-1 lead by the end of the first 15 minutes.

Although New Zealand struck first through Nic Woods in the sixth minute, Pakistan responded swiftly with two goals in the 13th and 14th minutes, both netted by Abdul Rehman.

Rana Waheed Ashraf then extended the lead with a third goal in the 28th minute, putting the Green Shirts firmly in control.

However, New Zealand mounted a strong comeback in the second half. Scott Cosslett emerged as the game-changer, scoring twice in the third quarter—in the 43rd and 45th minutes—to draw level.

He completed his hat-trick in the 52nd minute via a penalty corner, sealing a dramatic turnaround and handing the Kiwis a decisive 4-3 lead.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan’s opening match of the tournament, against Malaysia, ended in a 3-3 draw, despite Pakistan taking the lead twice during the game.

Ahmed Nadeem and Abdul Rehman gave Pakistan an early edge with two quick goals in the first quarter, allowing them to enter the final quarter with a solid 2-0 lead.

However, Malaysia responded strongly in the fourth quarter, scoring twice in quick succession through Fitri Saari and Syed Cholan to level the score.

Pakistan briefly regained the lead when Rana Waheed Ashraf found the net, but Malaysia equalised just two minutes later as Cholan struck again, scoring his second goal of the match to make it 3-3.

In their second outing, the Men in Green edged past Japan 3-2 in a thrilling encounter, mounting a comeback after trailing 2-1 to clinch a hard-fought victory.

Meanwhile, France and Korea have already confirmed their semi-final berths from Pool A.