Pakistan thrash Bangladesh to set up South Korea semi-final clash in Asian Champions Trophy

Published December 20, 2021
DHAKA: Pakistan’s Mohammad Razzaq (L) scores during the Asian Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Sunday.—AFP
DHAKA: Pakistan’s Mohammad Razzaq (L) scores during the Asian Champions Trophy match against Bangladesh on Sunday.—AFP

DHAKA: A thumping 6-2 victory against Bangladesh saw Pakistan get their first victory of the Asian Champions Trophy, jumping up to third in the table and setting up a semi-final against South Korea.

Pakistan went into their last round-robin game knowing that a two-goal victory would see them leapfrog third-placed Japan, who were hammered 6-0 by India earlier in the day.

But doubles Aijaz Ahmed and Ahmed Nadeem and goals apiece by Afraz and Mohammad Razzaq saw them clinch a four-goal victory with Bangladesh getting both their goals through Arshad Hosein.

Pakistan edged Japan on goal difference after both finished level on five points, one point behind second-placed South Korea while India topped the standings with 10 points.

Bangladesh went into the game having lost their first three matches and knew they had to upset Pakistan in order to make the semi-finals.

Arshad gave them a shock 13th-minute lead only for Ahmed to level matters in the very next minute.

It was the start of Pakistan’s goal rush which saw them score a further four goals in the next 20 minutes.

Aijaz made it 2-1 in the 18th before Afraz got his goal in the 24th. Ahmed got his second goal two minutes later with Razzaq making it 4-1 in the 34th.

Arshad pulled one back for Bangladesh in the 34th but Aijaz sealed victory for his side four minutes later.

Earlier, Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner to give India a 10th minute lead against Japan and Dilpreet Singh made it 2-0 in the 23rd.

Jarmanpreet Singh added the third in the 34th before goals by Sumit, Harmanpreet and Shamsher Singh in the space of seven minutes completed a resounding victory for India.

Japan have work to do if they are to avoid another hammering by India when they meet the Tokyo Olympic bronze medallists in the semi-final on Tuesday.

Pakistan’s match with South Korea on the same day is expected to be a much evenly-contested one after they played a 3-3 draw against each other on Saturday.

Published in Dawn, December 20th, 2021

Opinion

Editorial

Syria’s future
Updated 10 Dec, 2024

Syria’s future

Today, HTS — a ‘reformed’ radical outfit once associated with Al Qaeda — is in a position to be the leading power broker in Syria.
Rights in peril
10 Dec, 2024

Rights in peril

IN Pakistan’s fraught landscape of human rights infringements, misery hangs in the air. What makes this year’s...
Learning from AJK
10 Dec, 2024

Learning from AJK

THE recent events in Azad Kashmir are a powerful example of how dialogue can play a constructive role in effectively...
CPEC slowdown
Updated 09 Dec, 2024

CPEC slowdown

Current CPEC slowdown doesn't mean China has lost interest in the connectivity project or in Pakistan.
Madressah bill
09 Dec, 2024

Madressah bill

A CONTROVERSY has been brewing over the Societies Registration (Amendment) Act, 2024, with the JUI-F slamming ...
Protecting varsities
09 Dec, 2024

Protecting varsities

THE recent proposal by the Sindh cabinet to shoehorn in non-PhD bureaucrats as vice chancellors has sparked concern...