Pakistan’s U18 men’s hockey team has secured a place in the semi-finals of the 2025 Asia Cup after edging past host nation China 2-1 in their final Group A clash at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre.

The Green Shirts completed the group stage undefeated, clinching top spot with four consecutive wins and a staggering +21 goal difference, marking them as one of the standout teams of the tournament so far.

A Tactical Victory Over China

The decisive encounter against China saw Pakistan take an early lead in the 11th minute, courtesy of a clinical field goal from Hassan Shahbaz. Despite several penalty corner chances for both sides in the second quarter, strong defensive efforts ensured a 1-0 scoreline heading into halftime.

In the third quarter, Ali Hanzala extended Pakistan’s lead with another well-executed field goal. China quickly hit back through Jiaxing Lin, who capitalised on a penalty corner to bring the hosts within one goal.

China mounted intense pressure in the final period in search of an equaliser, but Pakistan’s goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa delivered a standout performance with crucial saves that sealed the win.

Group Stage Dominance

Pakistan’s group stage campaign has been nothing short of dominant. Their journey began with an 8-0 demolition of Hong Kong, followed by a 9-0 thrashing of Sri Lanka, and a 6-3 victory over Bangladesh before wrapping up with the win over China.

In total, Pakistan scored 25 goals and conceded only four in their four group matches, underscoring their strength at both ends of the field.

Next Challenge: Semi-Final vs Malaysia

With momentum firmly on their side, Pakistan will now face Malaysia in the semi-final on Friday at the same venue. Malaysia finished as runners-up in Group B and pose a serious challenge for the in-form Pakistani side.

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

Team Management:
Shafqat Malik (Manager), Mukhtar Ahmed, Touseeq Ahmed, Masood-ur-Rahman (Coaches)

With their sights set firmly on the title, the Green Shirts will look to carry their unbeaten momentum into the knockout stage and bring the Asia Cup trophy home.