Pakistan punched their ticket to the semi-finals of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 with a thrilling 2-1 win over hosts China in their final group match at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre.
The Green Shirts stayed unbeaten and topped Group A with a perfect 12 points from four games, scoring 25 goals and conceding just four — a whopping +21 goal difference!
Hassan Shahbaz gave Pakistan an early lead in the 11th minute with a slick field goal. Both sides fought hard in the second quarter, but the score stayed 1-0 at halftime.
Ali Hanzala made it 2-0 late in the third quarter, but China quickly hit back through a penalty corner goal by Jiaxing Lin. The final quarter saw intense pressure from China, but goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa’s heroics ensured Pakistan held on for the win.
Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan crushed Hong Kong 8-0, blanked Sri Lanka 9-0, and beat Bangladesh 6-3 — making it four straight wins.
Next stop: the semi-final showdown against Malaysia on Friday!
Squad Highlights:
Hassan Shahbaz, Ali Hanzala, Ghulam Mustafa, Mohammad Usman, Adeel Afzal & more — guided by Manager Shafqat Malik and coaches Mukhtar Ahmed, Touseeq Ahmed, and Masood-ur-Rahman.
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