Hosts’ Hearts Break as Pakistan and Korea Clinch Final Qualification Spots on Day 3 of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup Malaysia 2025

18 Jun, 2025

Day 3 of the tournament saw both Pools reach their final standings as twelve games of hockey culminated with all the excitement, skill and high-level contest with which they began. In Pool A, Korea joined the already-qualified France after their attritional 1-0 win over South Africa, claiming the only clean sheet of the tournament so far in the process. Wales earned an impressive draw that ended France’s perfect record, a game in which four goals of the highest-standard left the scoreline 2-2. With just two points, however, Wales find themselves third in the group and heading to the 5th-8th place play-offs.

In Pool B, New Zealand completed their third win of the tournament and their third resurgence from a losing position to beat Pakistan 4-3. Pakistan, having been 3-1 in the lead, were forced to watch on from the stands as Malaysia played Japan with the chance of hurdling Pakistan on points difference. The hosts gave themselves an excellent chance of qualification for the semi-finals, finding themselves 2-0 up going into the final quarter, but a late Japanese goal dragged Malaysia back down into third in the pool, sending them into the 5th-8th place play-offs. Play resumes on Friday as Pakistan join New Zealand in qualifying from Pool B and France and Korea progress from Pool A, forming an enthralling pair of semi-finals.

Korea 1-0 South Africa

After two days of frantic goalscoring, both sides began the first game of Day 3 with far more caution and defensive resolve. The first quarter saw Korea hesitant to heavily commit going forward, instead they sat back and opted to counter-attack, hunting in smaller packs. Three penalty corners were as close as they got to creating chances in the first quarter. South Africa were insistent in attack but the Korean defence, led by Kim Jaehan in goal and Lim Dohyun at the back, were confident and highly-skilled in preventing any South African joy.

With just a minute to play in the somewhat reserved first-half, Korea found a seemingly innocuous foot five yards outside the circle. After referral, it was deemed an intentional breakdown and Korea were awarded a penalty corner. Lim Dohyun’s drag-flick surgically dissected the space between goalkeeper and left-post defender to find the net and put his country 1-0 up. In quarters three and four, South Africa won five penalty corners but failed to convert any, Korean defences holding strong and eventually doing enough to claim the first clean sheet of this Nations Cup and qualification to the semi-finals. Despite claims of a penalty stroke on the final whistle, South Africa’s attacking impotence leave them with just one point, confining them to the 5th-8th place play-offs.

Lim Dohyun’s match-winning flick and martial command of his defence were recognised at the end of the game with the Player of the Match award. Yang Jihun said: “I am happy to have won the match today – it was a very important match to get points in. We wanted to get to the semi-finals and we’re now preparing for the semi-finals. We defended first and then countered fast when we had the ball.”

France 2-2 Wales

The first-half between France and Wales saw a goal of the tournament contender from both sides. Fourteen minutes into the game, Brieuc Delemazure’s long-range slap was deftly redirected by Amaury Bellenger from the top of the circle, beating Toby Reynolds-Cotterill at his near post and taking a very sudden 1-0 lead for France. Mid-way through the second quarter, Wales responded with some magic of their own. Jacob Draper slammed a ball to Fred Newbold on the right edge of the circle. Newbold charged into the space in front of him, aiming for the baseline and snuck a firm flick over the left shoulder of Edgar Reynaud into the near top corner. The ball rebounded off the far post, crossed the line and drew Wales level.

Late in the third quarter, with France reduced to ten, a Welsh overhead pass was collected and played directly into the circle by Stanislas Branicki. Jack Pritchard picked it up on the turn, snapped it back across goal onto his reverse and slotted it beneath Reynaud to take a 2-1 lead. France had not been without chances though, and, at their seventh attempt, finally converted a penalty corner with six minutes to play. Viktor Lockwood’s flat drag-flick was deflected up into the top corner by Bellenger for his – and France’s – second goal. Les Bleus continued to threaten until the final whistle but, ultimately, the two sides cancelled each other out with two fantastic goals each. France remain top of the group but lose their perfect record and Wales double their points tally on their way to the 5th-8th place play-offs.

Jack Pritchard was awarded his second Player of the Match award of the tournament and acknowledged his side’s strong showing: “It was a really good performance I think. We started slow in the first ten, fifteen minutes but really pushed through that – [we] went one goal down early but fought back really well. We always have a really good battle with France and today proved it – exactly the same. They’re a top side, so it was a good achievement. It was a shame to let that one in with four or so minutes to go but we can be really proud of our performance looking forward to the next stage.”

New Zealand 4-3 Pakistan

The first Pool B game of the day saw Pakistan, who needed a win to qualify, meet a New Zealand side who had claimed every available point in the competition so far. The first penalty corner of the game was presented to the Blacksticks in the seventh minute and Nic Woods forced a drag-flick through the left-post defender to kickstart the scoring. From this moment, Pakistan built momentum. With two minutes remaining in the quarter, Abdul Rehman equalised. Rehman poleaxed a drag-flick into the top right of the Kiwi net and Pakistan were on the charge. A minute later, he scored again, this time from just a couple of yards, slapping a fumbled ball conclusively up into the net. Pakistan turned over their deficit in a minute and were in line for the semi-finals.

The second quarter was somewhat less eventful until, just before half-time, Pakistan won the ball in the New Zealand half and surged forward. Waheed Ashraf Rana scored his third of the tournament, nipping the ball over the line as Rehman had done and making it 3-1. The second half began with Blackstick chances, as six penalty corners ultimately resulted in a mechanical Scott Cosslett delivering two superbly similar drag-flicks into the bottom left corner. With scores level in the final quarter, Cosslett completed his hat-trick, this drag-flick slightly more lofted than the others so that it bulged the net with a satisfaction that was emblematic of a complete Blacksticks comeback. New Zealand became the only side in the competition to have a perfect record and Pakistan were resigned to watching nervously on as Malaysia needed to beat Japan by two clear goals if they were to qualify.

Scott Cosslett’s hat-trick wrestled back all three points and earned him Player of the Match. He paid tribute to the third Kiwi comeback in as many games: “We’re just trusting our processes. [We’ve had] a little slow start the past two days but we believe in ourselves and just credit to the boys, really well done.”

Japan 1-2 Malaysia

As on the first two days of the tournament, hosts Malaysia played the final game in front of the biggest crowd of the day. Today, however, with qualification for the semi-finals to play for, there was a fresh tension in the crowd. Malaysia did their best to ease it in the first five minutes, as Norsyafiq Sumantri leapt forwards to finish off an incredible bobbing, weaving, 70-yard run by Fitri Saari and put the hosts 1-0 up. Fifteen minutes later, after an overhead pass to the top of the circle, Shello Silverius played in Abu Kamal Azrai, who smuggled a reverse beneath Kisho Kuroda in goal to double the lead.

Into the second half, Japan responded by winning four penalty corners, all of which went unconverted, however. The Malaysian defences started to creak slightly in the knowledge that, due to point difference, they needed to win by two clear goals to qualify for the semi-finals. The final quarter saw the game open up entirely, as Japan continued to throw punches and Malaysia sought to find the third goal that would secure their progression. With four minutes to play, however, Koji Yamasaki flung his stick at the ball from close range and the ball smacked against the backboard to make it 2-1. The game remained open but Malaysia failed to convert a good handful of clear-cut chances that would’ve put them through. Japan finish with three losses from three whilst Malaysia miss out on qualification via point difference, a result that will hurt but that might just take them into the 5th-8th place play-off with some important confidence.

Fitri Saari’s creative excellence meant that he received Player of the Match, despite his side missing out on the semi-finals: “I am really disappointed [to have missed a late chance] for this meant, even though we won the game, we cannot make the semi-final. This is very frustrating for me and also for the team. We fought – we fought a lot – it just wasn’t enough to make the semi-finals.”

To see the current standings in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup, click here.

FIH Hockey Nations Cup – 18 June 2025

National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Result: Match 1

Korea 1-0 South Africa

Player of the Match: Lim Dohyun (KOR)

Umpires: Zeke Newman (AUS), Ben Grant (NZL), Liu Xiaoying (CHN) (Video)

Result: Match 2

France 2-2 Wales

Player of the Match: Jack Pritchard (WAL)

Umpires: Lim Hong-Zhen (SGP), Ilanggo Kanabathu (MAS), Ridge Bair (USA) (Video)

Result: Match 3