KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 25: Pakistan, powered by a brace each from Atif Bashir and Sohail Abbas, routed South Africa 5-0 for a cracking start to the 10th men’s World Cup Hockey Tournament Sunday.
The four-time champions after some initial hiccups that saw South Africa nearly score with the game barely 10 minutes old, got their act together and went one up, Atif Bashir chipping in from close range.
Returning to the team after missing the six-nation tournament here in January, the professional doctor was set up by captain Muhammad Sarwar who had weaved his way through with precision.
Sohail Abbas, Pakistan’s top short corner striker put in the second on the 39th minute to make the score look more respectable from his side’s second short corner.
Muhammad Shabbir sent in a rocket after combining well with Khalid Saleem on the 54th minute while Atif sprang into action again to score the fourth, result of some work done by Khalid on the left flank.
An intelligent short corner drill earned Pakistan their fifth, with Sohail firing in again.
The South Africans, competing in only their second World Cup after Sydney 1994, had looked good early on in the game and came close to scoring at least four times. Their best chance came at the start of play, their forward Greg Nicol hitting the cross bar.
The dangerous Nicol, got quite a few more chances but some good keeping by Pakistan goalkeeper Muhammad Qasim spoiled their efforts.
Pakistan manager Khalid Sajjad Khokhar terming the victory as ‘satisfying’ said the boys needed to put in more in the matches ahead, the most immediate being the game against Belgium Monday.
He conceded that defenders Tariq Imran and Sohail Abbas gave South African forwards room to attack. “There were some lapses on their part but since this was the first game, I am sure they ‘ll settle down quickly.”
Shahbaz Ahmed, the architect of Pakistan’s victory in the Sydney World Cup, had a quiet game. Wearing sixties-style shorts, he did make a couple of dangerous runs that unsettled the South African defence.
“Shahbaz was an average player today but still he did what was expected of him.” he added.
Pakistan, wary that it might come down to goal average in the end, did well in firing home five although they could have added at least two more but for some scrappy finishing in front of goal.
World Cup debutantes Cuba gave mighty Korea a scare before going down 6-2 in the opening match of the tournament, a Pool B encounter.
After Korea went ahead through a short corner strike from Woon-Kon Yeo on the 9th, the Cubans quickly hit back, Alexander Abreau Abreus putting his side level in what was a fine field effort.
Cuba, who qualified for this tournament by virtue of being the America’s Cup champions, then took the lead much to the surprise of the rival camp on the 20th, barely a minute after they had gone level. And they defended well to stay 2-1 in front at the lemon-time.
But the Koreans, ranked the No 2 side in world hockey, showed their pedigree on resumption putting in five goals to give the babes a lesson as to what the international sport is all about.
The silver medallists of the Sydney Olympics put the match on an even keel on the 41st, Moon-Ki Yoo doing the needful, an effort that opened the floodgates with Seung-Tae Song, Seok-Kyo Shin, captain Keon-Wook Kang and Sung-|Hoon Yoon all adding their names on to the scorers’ list.
Although they woke up late, it was a good start for the Koreans, the 1986 Asian Games gold medallists, who are competing in their third World Cup here.
England found Poland too defensive and hardly managed to beat them 1-0 in another Pool B game played at the impressive National Stadium.
The Englishman owed their victory to Dave Mathews, who netted the match-winner from a 54th minute short corner, a strike that gave Polish keeper Marcin Pobuta no chance. Although England forced three penalty corners earlier on, they were unable to make use of them and in the end were left to thank Mathews who aimed right from the fourth.
England however, would need to do some rethinking for their tougher games coming up in the days ahead if they have any intentions of making an impression in this tournament that involves 16 teams.
Poland who finished third in the World Cup qualifying competition in Edinburg did well in keeping the English team in check and although they were shy in attack, it wasn’t a bad performance.