LAHORE: Pakistan booked a place in the final of the Men’s U-18 Asia Cup 2025 after edging out Malaysia 4-3 in a dramatic penalty shootout in the semi-final at the National Hockey Training Centre in Dazhou, China, on Friday.

The match had ended 3-3 in regulation time after a fiercely-contested encounter. Pakistan had taken an early 2-0 lead through goals from Abdullah Awan and Hasan Shahbaz, but Malaysia responded with three goals — all scored by Muhammad Sufan — to briefly take the lead. Shahbaz struck again to equalise and send the match into a shootout.

In the shootout, the Green Shirts held their nerve. After both teams were tied 3-3 following four rounds, Ali Hanzala netted Pakistan’s fifth attempt before goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa made a crucial save to deny Malaysia and secure the victory.

Pakistan will now face Japan in the tournament final on Sunday.

The win extended Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the competition, having earlier defeated Hong Kong 8-0, Sri Lanka 9-0, Bangladesh 6-3, and hosts China 2-1 in the quarter-final.

This is the third time in the past year that a Pakistan hockey team has reached a final. The junior team previously played the final of the Asia Junior Hockey Cup in Oman, while the senior side contested the final of the FIH Nations Cup.

Pakistan’s journey to the tournament was not without hurdles. The team arrived in Dazhou after a significant delay on the day the tournament began, forcing a rescheduling of their first match. Additionally, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) continues to face severe financial constraints, with players reportedly not receiving daily allowances regularly.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2025