AMSTELVEEN: Pakistan ended a 16-year wait for a victory at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup after defeating Japan 4-3 in a thrilling 9th to 16th place classification match at the Wagener Stadium on Saturday.
The result marked Pakistan’s first World Cup win since the 2010 edition, when the Green Shirts defeated Spain 2-1. Pakistan had subsequently missed the 2014 tournament and remained without a victory in the 2018 edition.
Japan Make Strong Start
Japan began the match on the front foot and quickly put Pakistan under pressure. Hyota Yamada opened the scoring before Kaito Tanaka doubled Japan’s advantage during the first quarter.
Pakistan responded in the second quarter as Rana Waheed Ashraf pulled one goal back. Japan went into the halftime break with a narrow 2-1 lead.
Pakistan Complete Dramatic Comeback
The Green Shirts produced a remarkable turnaround after the interval.
Ashraf scored his second goal just two minutes into the third quarter to bring Pakistan level at 2-2. A minute later, Muhammad Hammadudin found the net to put Pakistan ahead for the first time.
Japan immediately responded through Koji Yamasaki, who restored parity at 3-3 and set up a tense finish.
Pakistan eventually regained the lead through Hannan Shahid, who scored in the 40th minute. The goal proved decisive as neither side managed to score again before the final whistle.
Important Win After Difficult Campaign
Pakistan entered the classification phase after failing to progress from the main round. The team suffered defeats against England and India, while its only point came from a 3-3 draw against Wales.
The victory over Japan therefore provided an important positive moment in Pakistan’s return to the World Cup after an eight-year absence.
The 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup is being jointly hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium, with the tournament running through August 30.
Pakistan will now continue its classification campaign as it looks to finish the tournament on a stronger note.
