Pakistan beat Japan on Monday, scoring 3-2 in their second match of the FIH Nations Cup at National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.Pakistan staged a comeback after trailing 2-1 to secure the win against Japan. Ghazanfar Ali gave Pakistan an early lead with a goal in the first quarter. However, Japan equalised just one minute later through a goal by Kazumasa.
Two minutes after that, Koji Yamasaki scored to put Japan in the lead. By the end of the first quarter, Japan was leading 2-1. No goals were scored by either team in the second quarter.
In the third quarter, Pakistan’s Rana Waheed Ashraf scored to level the match at 2-2. In the final quarter, Sufiyan Khan converted a penalty corner into a goal, giving Pakistan the lead once again. Sufiyan’s decisive goal secured a 3-2 victory for Pakistan.
Pakistan would play its third group match of the event against New Zealand on Wednesday at the same venue.
A day earlier, Pakistan and Malaysia played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in their opening match of the FIH Nations Cup on Sunday, despite Pakistan holding the lead twice during the match.
Ahmed Nadeem and Abdul Rehman gave Pakistan an early advantage with two quick goals in the first quarter, helping their side head into the fourth quarter with a commanding 2-0 lead.
However, Malaysia bounced back with two goals in quick succession in the final quarter, levelling the score. Fitri Saari and Syed Cholan were on target for the Malaysians.
Pakistan regained the lead when Rana Waheed Ashraf found the net, but Malaysia responded just two minutes later with another equaliser by Cholan, his 2nd goal of the match, to make it 3-3.
It is pertinent to mention that the tournament’s format includes preliminary pool matches, with the top teams advancing to the semi-finals on June 20 and the final and bronze medal matches scheduled for June 21.
The eight participating teams are split into two pools for the preliminary rounds, Pool A consists of France, Korea, South Africa, and Wales, while Pool B features Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand and Pakistan.
The FIH Hockey Nations Cup serves as a crucial stepping stone for teams aiming to qualify for the elite FIH Hockey Pro League. The winner of this tournament will earn promotion to the 2025–26 Pro League season.
Pakistan squad for Nations Cup:
Ammad Butt (captain), Rana Waheed (vice captain), Muneer-ur-Rehman, Abdullah Ishtiaq, Mohammad Abdullah, Mohammad Sufyan Khan, Abdul Manan, Hamad Anjum, Arshad Liaquat, Moeen Shakeel, Zakrya Hayat, Ghazanfar Ali, Salman Razaq, Junaid Manzoor, Afraz Khan, Abdul Rehman, Ahmed Nadeem and Mohibullah.
