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Pakistan Hockey World Cup Campaign Faces Another Setback
Pakistan Hockey World Cup campaign suffered another setback on Monday as New Zealand defeated Pakistan 4-2 in their classification match at the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
The result came despite a spirited fightback from Pakistan in the second half, after New Zealand had established a commanding three-goal advantage before the interval. The official match record confirms the final score as 4-2, with New Zealand leading 3-0 at halftime.
Contents
- New Zealand dominate first half
- Pakistan launch comeback
- New Zealand seal victory
- Pakistan’s tournament campaign
- South Africa clash ahead
New Zealand Make Strong Start
New Zealand made an aggressive start and quickly put Pakistan under pressure.
Dylan Thomas opened the scoring within the opening minute, giving the Black Sticks an early advantage. Scott Boyde then doubled New Zealand’s lead in the second quarter before George Baker added another goal to make it 3-0.
Pakistan struggled to break through the New Zealand defence during the opening half and went into the interval facing a substantial deficit.
Pakistan Fight Back After Halftime
The national side returned from the interval with greater attacking intent and began putting New Zealand under sustained pressure.
Pakistan won several penalty corners and eventually converted one through Sufyan Khan, who reduced the deficit early in the third quarter.
The comeback gathered further momentum when Afraz found the net from a short corner. His goal brought Pakistan within one goal at 3-2, raising hopes of an impressive recovery.
Pakistan’s improved performance marked a significant change from the first half, as the Green Shirts created further opportunities and challenged the New Zealand defence.
New Zealand Restore Two-Goal Advantage
New Zealand, however, managed to regain control before Pakistan could complete the comeback.
Kane Russell converted a penalty corner in the fourth quarter to restore New Zealand’s two-goal cushion and put Pakistan under renewed pressure.
The Black Sticks successfully defended their advantage during the closing stages to secure a 4-2 victory. The match statistics showed New Zealand earning six penalty corners and converting one, while Pakistan won 10 and scored from two of them.
The defeat means Pakistan will now continue their campaign in the lower classification positions of the tournament.
Pakistan’s Hockey World Cup Campaign
Pakistan had entered the classification phase after failing to progress from the initial stage.
The team had, however, produced one of its most encouraging performances of the tournament when it defeated Japan 4-3, ending a long wait for a World Cup victory.
Pakistan had previously gone without a World Cup win since defeating Spain 2-1 in the 2010 edition. The victory over Japan therefore provided an important boost for the national team.
Despite that success, the loss to New Zealand represents another difficult result for Pakistan at the 2026 tournament.
South Africa Clash Next
Pakistan’s next assignment will be against South Africa, with the classification fixture scheduled for August 28.
The match will be important as Pakistan looks to finish the tournament on a positive note and improve its final position.
The 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup is being staged in Belgium and the Netherlands, with matches taking place at venues including the Wagener Hockey Stadium in Amstelveen and the Belfius Hockey Arena in Belgium.
For Pakistan, attention now turns to the final classification fixture, where the national side will look to recover from the defeat against New Zealand and close its World Cup campaign with a strong performance.See More on Pulse Pakistan
