Dazhou: Pakistan’s Under-18 hockey team secured a thrilling 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Malaysia in the semi-final of the U-18 Asia Hockey Cup on Friday, setting up a final showdown with Japan on Sunday at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Center.
The semi-final saw Pakistan take an early 2-0 lead with penalty corner goals from Awan Abdullah and another teammate before halftime. Malaysia staged a fierce comeback, scoring three goals in the second half to take a 3-2 lead. Pakistan’s Shahbaz Hassan leveled the score at 3-3 with his second goal, forcing a penalty shootout. Goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa emerged as the hero, making two crucial saves to clinch the 4-3 win. Japan advanced to the final with a 6-4 victory over Bangladesh.
Pakistan’s unbeaten run included dominant group-stage wins: 8-0 over Hong Kong, 9-0 against Sri Lanka, 6-3 versus Bangladesh, and a 2-1 triumph over hosts China, showcasing their strength and depth ahead of the title clash.
