Pakistan edge past Malaysia in shootout to reach U18 Asia Cup Final

Pakistan’s U18 men’s hockey team secured a thrilling victory over Malaysia in the semifinals of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025, winning via penalty shootout on Friday at the National Hockey Training Centre.

After an intense and closely-fought match ended in a draw during regulation time, the contest was decided by penalties.

Pakistan held their nerve as Malaysia missed two crucial shots while the Green Shirts missed only one, sealing a 4-3 shootout win and punching their ticket to the final.

The young Pakistani side has been in dominant form throughout the tournament.

They kicked off their campaign with an emphatic 8-0 triumph over Hong Kong, followed by a commanding 9-0 win against Sri Lanka.

Their third group-stage fixture saw them outplay Bangladesh 6-3, virtually guaranteeing a spot in the knockout rounds.

Read more: Pakistani karatekas shine at South Asian Championship with two gold medals

In the quarterfinal, Pakistan overcame a spirited Chinese side 2-1 to earn their place in the final four.

With this victory, Pakistan will now face Japan in the tournament's grand finale on Sunday, to be played at the same venue.

Pakistan U18 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