Pakistan qualified for the semi-finals of the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2025 after defeating hosts China 2-1 in their final group match at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre.
Maintaining their unbeaten streak, the national side concluded the group stage at the summit of Group A with 12 points from four matches, boasting a goal difference of +21.
The Green Shirts made an early breakthrough in the 11th minute when forward Hassan Shahbaz slotted home a field goal to put Pakistan ahead in a tightly-contested encounter.
Despite a flurry of action in the second quarter — which saw both teams earning two penalty corners apiece — the scoreline remained unchanged at halftime, thanks to resolute defending and missed opportunities on both ends.
The deadlock was broken again late in the third quarter when Ali Hanzala doubled Pakistan’s advantage through another well-crafted field effort. However, the hosts responded almost immediately, with Jiaxing Lin converting a penalty corner to reduce the deficit.
China applied sustained pressure in the final quarter in search of an equaliser, but Pakistan’s goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa stood tall under the bar, making key saves to preserve the lead.
With the win, Pakistan have now registered four straight victories in the tournament — including a commanding 8-0 win over Hong Kong in their opener, followed by a 9-0 drubbing of Sri Lanka and a 6-3 triumph over Bangladesh.
The national side has scored 25 goals while conceding only four throughout the group stage.
Pakistan will now meet Malaysia in the semi-final on Friday at the same venue.
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
Team management: Shafqat Malik (Manager), Mukhtar Ahmed, Touseeq Ahmed, Masood-ur-Rahman (Coaches)
