DAZHOU, China (Kashmir English): Pakistan will face Japan in the final of the Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup today (Sunday) after it continued its unbeaten run in the tournament by beating Malaysia in a thrilling semi-final on Friday.
Pakistan edged past Malaysia 4-3 in a penalty shootout after a dramatic 3-3 draw in regular time.
Under-18 Asia Hockey Cup final
Pakistan will now face Japan in the final at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Center today.
In a fast semi-final game, Pakistan started strong, earning a penalty corner in just the fifth minute. Awan Abdullah scored the first goal of the match, taking an early lead.
The Men in Green doubled the lead with another penalty corner before half-time, heading into the break with a 2-0 cushion.
Malaysia, however, mounted a spirited comeback by scoring shortly after the restart and went on to score two more goals in quick succession, taking the lead for the first time in the match.
Pakistan, however, scored the third goal, Shahbaz Hassan’s second of the evening, bringing the scores level at 3-3.
With the game tied, the game moved into a penalty shootout. Pakistan held their nerve especially young goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa who made two crucial saves to seal a 4-3 victory.
On Friday, Japan beat Bangladesh 6-4 in the second semi-final to reserve their spot in the title clash.
