Pakistan Beat China to Enter U18 Asia Cup Hockey Semi-Finals
Pakistan secured a spot in the semi-finals of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 after defeating China 2-1 in a closely fought match at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre. The win extended Pakistan’s unbeaten run in the tournament and confirmed their place at the top of Group A.
The match started with early momentum for Pakistan as Hassan Shahbaz struck a field goal in the 11th minute, giving the Green Shirts a 1-0 lead. Both teams created chances in the second quarter, earning two penalty corners each, but neither side managed to convert, and the score remained unchanged at halftime.
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In the third quarter, Pakistan doubled their lead through Ali Hanzala, who netted another well-executed field goal. However, China responded swiftly as Jiaxing Lin scored off a penalty corner to cut the deficit to 2-1.
China mounted considerable pressure in the final minutes in search of an equaliser, but Pakistan’s goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa made a series of critical saves to deny them. His performance ensured Pakistan held on to their lead and emerged victorious in a tense finish.
With this win, Pakistan remained unbeaten in all four of their group matches, earning 12 points and boasting an impressive goal difference of +21. Over the course of the group stage, Pakistan scored 25 goals while conceding only four.
Pakistan’s campaign began with a dominant 8-0 win against Hong Kong, followed by a 9-0 rout of Sri Lanka and a 6-3 triumph over Bangladesh before facing China.
The team will now face Malaysia in the semi-final on Friday, once again at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre.
The Pakistan squad for the tournament includes 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, and Yaseen Jamshaid.
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