15 Jun, 2025 Under the unpredictable Kuala Lumpur skies, an exhilarating day of hockey opened the Nations Cup Malaysia 2025 with a storm of goals, comebacks and explosive contests that hinted at the fantastic competition that is to come. Twelve final-quarter goals, including five from France in their 6-5 comeback win over Korea, were a mark of the attacking firepower on display and a reminder of how desperate these nations are to earn that coveted prize of a spot in the FIH Pro League. Pool A saw two incredible comebacks: one earning France all three points over Korea to top the standings, and the other seeing South Africa forcibly take a point from a frustrated Wales side. After delays to the Pool B games due to lightning and rain, New Zealand belatedly began their title defence with a well-deserved 2-1 win over Asian Games champions Japan. Surrounded by raucous home support, Malaysia drew 3-3 with a fiery Pakistan side that may well be frustrated to not be matching the Blacksticks’ three points at the top of Pool B. France 6-5 Korea Opening Pool A, Korea started well against France, registering the first goal of the competition inside three minutes. A clinical press put the ball on the end of Jungjun Lee’s stick and the captain finished smartly. The French responded well, finding their way through the guts of the Korean defence before Xavier Esmenjaud equalised with a diving slap shot. The Koreans began the second quarter by registering a flurry of penalty corners before Jihun Yang flicked his side back into the lead. Dohyun Lim converted another corner minutes later, this time from the second castle. The second-half saw the French fall further behind. Korea won the ball high up the pitch and Cheoleon Park made it 4-1 before Yang scored his second to send his side 5-1 up going into the final quarter. Two minutes into the final period, France capitalised on a Korean blunder and Esmenjaud slapped in what appeared to be a consolation goal. However, when Victor Charlet rifled a penalty corner into the roof of the Korean net, the momentum shifted. With two minutes remaining, Esmenjaud improvised his way to a hat-trick and made it 5-4. Charlet won and scored a penalty stroke to equalise and, with four seconds remaining, Louis Haertelmeyer knocked in a rebound and completed an unbelievable comeback for France. From 5-1 down with 15 minutes left to play, the French scored five goals and earned a special three points in a memorable opening game of the Nations Cup. After Xavier Esmenjaud’s hat-trick earned him Player of the Match, he called it a “crazy game [and a] crazy experience”. “We were just focussed on getting to 5-2, then when it was 5-2, the third one, the fourth. The energy to come back, we were winning the duals – amazing.” South Africa 4-4 Wales On the other side of Pool A, Jack Pritchard opened the Welsh account five minutes in, scrapping the ball over the South African goal-line. Wales then beautifully manufactured their second, as a one-time slap into the circle found Joylon Morgan who expertly squeezed the ball over the keeper with just one hand on the stick. In the five minutes before half-time, Pritchard doubled the lead and claimed his hat-trick, putting Wales 4-0 up at the break. With the first game a looming reminder that four goals isn’t a safe margin, Trevor de Lora found the net after three consecutive South African penalty corners to make it 4-1. Angelo Walstroom finished a smart South African move at the end of the third quarter to further panic Wales. As Victor Charlet had done earlier, Samkelo Mvimbi then won and fired home a penalty stroke with ten minutes left to play. With just ninety seconds remaining, Calvin Davis rocketed a drag flick into the bottom corner and earned South Africa a 4-4 draw that must have felt like a win. An understandably frustrated Jack Pritchard collected his well-deserved Player of the match award and said: “It was a good start in the first half, then we dropped off it slightly in the second and fair play to South Africa they really came back strong. So, disappointing not to hold on but not a bad start.” New Zealand 2-1 Japan As if Pool A wasn’t fast-paced enough, Japan began Pool B with a clinically quick counter-attack as Ryosuke Shinohara put his team 1-0 up inside five minutes. Just ninety seconds later, however, Sam Hiha drew New Zealand level. A back-foot shot squeezed past Takashi Yoshikawa in goal and launched a period of high-pressing domination for the reigning Nations Cup Champions. Japan remained resolute however, seeing off multiple Blackstick penalty corners and taking the game into the final quarter 1-1. After the games in Pool A, the lack of goals provided a relative calm to the game, even with the New Zealand chances raining down upon Japan. In the final quarter, however, it proved too much for the Japanese defence to manage. With four minutes left to play, an overhead pass fell to Sean Findlay, who nutmegged his marker before firing the ball against Dylan Thomas’s stick. Thomas deflected in and secured a deserved three points for the Blacksticks in the first game of Pool B. Scorer of that all-important goal and Player of the Match Dylan Thomas emphasised that “It was really important that we got the 3 points today, it’s been a good build up, we’ve felt really good since getting to Malaysia and we’re really stoked to get the result today.” Malaysia 3-3 Pakistan Closing a fantastic opening day for the Nations Cup, Pakistan took the upper hand in the first quarter, controlling the game and taking a 2-0 lead. Nadeem Ahmad’s acrobatic deflection (and explosive celebration) was followed quickly by Abdul Rehman’s scorching drag-flick from a penalty corner. The second and third quarters were goalless but two green cards and a yellow were signs of creeping ill discipline that
