Pakistan beat Japan 3-2 in FIH Hockey Nations Cup in Kuala Lumpur

Pakistan beat Japan 3-2 in their second match of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup at Kuala Lumpur’s National Stadium on Monday.

Ghazanfar Ali gave Pakistan the lead when he scored in the first quarter.

Less than a minute later, Japan’s Kazumasa Matsumoto scored to level the field 1-1. Koji Yamasaki scored Japan’s second goal of the match within two minutes, bringing the score to 2-1.

The second quarter saw the score remain steady, but vice-captain Waheed Ashraf Rana scored for Pakistan in the third quarter to tie the score at 2-2 once more.

Sufyan Khan scored a decisive goal in the final quarter to take the score to 3-2 and give the Green Shirts their first win of the eight-team tournament.

A day earlier, Pakistan and Malaysia played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in their opening fixture of the Nations Cup, with the Green Shirts relinquishing a lead late in the match.

Pakistan will now face New Zealand on Wednesday, June 18 at 3pm PKT.

The 20-member national squad was announced earlier this month, with Imad Butt being appointed captain and Waheed as vice captain.

The tournament, crucial for promoting the elite FIH Hockey Pro League, runs from June 15 to June 21 and features hosts Malaysia, France, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa and Wales.