Pakistan was classified for the finals of the Hockey Fih Cup after defeating France on Friday in the first semifinal match in Kuala Lumpur.
“Excellent objectives in the second half, followed by an incredible goal in the shooting,” said the International Hockey Federation while praising the team.
The National Hockey team defeated France 3-2 in a criminal shooting after the match tied 3-3 until the regulation time.
Rana Waheed Ashraf was declared a party man.
Afraz Hakeem, Sufyan Khan and Muhammad Hammaduddin also scored goals for the national team. The final game will be played tomorrow (Saturday).
The president of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF), Mir Tariq Hussain Bugti, and Olympic Secretary Rana Mujahid Ali Khan congratulated the national team for winning the game and expressed their best wishes for the final, according to a PHF statement.
In the second semifinal, New Zealand will face South Korea at 6pm PKT. The tournament has high bets as the winner wins the ascent to the elite Fih Hockey Pro League for the 2025–26 season.
France and South Korea obtained their points in the last four of Group A, with France leading their group. New Zealand and Pakistan left group B, with New Zealand ensuring the upper position.
Pakistan finished second in group B with four points after three games. His trip to the semifinals included a victory against Japan (3-2) and a hard draw 3-3 against the Malaysian host nation.
His only defeat in the group stage was against New Zealand in a closed meeting of 4-3. Despite the loss against New Zealand, Pakistan assured his semifinal post due to a difference in superior goals over Malaysia, who also ended with four points.
