Continuing their remarkable unbeaten streak, Pakistan secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over hosts China in the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 on Sunday, booking their place in the tournament’s semi-finals.
The Green Shirts delivered a commanding performance at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre, maintaining their dominance in Group A with a fourth consecutive victory.
Pakistan struck early, setting the tone in the high-pressure encounter as Hassan Shahbaz netted a brilliant field goal in the 11th minute to give his side a 1-0 lead. Despite a flurry of penalty corners in the second quarter, both sides failed to convert, and the score remained unchanged at halftime.
The deadlock continued until late in the third quarter when Ali Hanzala doubled Pakistan’s lead with another well-crafted field goal, giving his team a two-goal cushion. However, the joy was short-lived as Jiaxing Lin of China converted a penalty corner just moments later, narrowing the deficit to 2-1.
China, buoyed by home support, launched a series of attacks in the final quarter in search of an equaliser, but Pakistan’s goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa stood firm with several crucial saves, preserving the lead and securing the win.
With this victory, Pakistan topped Group A with a perfect 12 points from four matches and an impressive goal difference of +21 — having scored 25 goals and conceded just four.
The national junior side will now face Malaysia in the semi-final, scheduled to be played on Friday at the same venue.
