Pakistan have advanced to the final of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 following a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Malaysia in the semifinal at the National Hockey Training Centre in Dazhou, China, on Friday.
The tightly contested match concluded in a shootout after both teams remained deadlocked during regular play. In a tense finish, the Green Shirts held their nerve to secure a 4-3 win in the penalty shootout.
Pakistan capitalised on the pressure, with Malaysia missing two crucial attempts during the decisive shootout, while the Green Shirts only failed to score once.
The victory caps a remarkable run for the young Pakistani squad, which has shown exceptional form throughout the tournament. They began their campaign with a resounding 8-0 win over Hong Kong, followed by a crushing 9-0 victory against Sri Lanka.
In their third match, they defeated Bangladesh 6-3, virtually securing a place in the semifinals.
In the quarterfinals, Pakistan outclassed China 2-1 in a commanding performance to seal a place among the final four.
It is pertinent to mention that the Green Shirts will face Japan in the grand finale of the tournament on Sunday at the same venue.
Squad:
Mohammad Usman, Atif Ali, Asam Junaid, Mohammad Abdullah Farooq, Abdullah Awan, Zubair Lateef, Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Ali Taj, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Hamza, Ali Hanzala, Aamir Sohail, Adeel Afzal, Mohammad Zaman, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Shaheer, Hasan Shahbaz, Yaseen Jamshaid
Team Management:
Shafqat Malik (Manager), Mukhtar Ahmed, Touseeq Ahmed, Masood-ur-Rahman (Coaches)
