Pakistan and France joined New Zealand in the semi-finals of the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in Gniezno, Poland after a thrilling 11-goal match.
In Pool B, France finished first, followed by Pakistan. Malaysia secured third place by defeating Canada in the first game of the day.
France topped Pool B with their third consecutive win, narrowly defeating Pakistan 6-5 in a thrilling encounter.
The Olympic hosts started strong, exploiting weaknesses in Pakistan’s defense. Victor Charlet broke the deadlock in the seventh minute. With a minute left in the first quarter, Eliot Curty set up Blaise Rogeau, whose powerful shot bounced off the bar for their second goal. Lacking coordination at the back, Pakistan conceded another goal as Gaspard Baumgarten made it 3-0 seven minutes before halftime. Two minutes later, Charlet scored his second goal from a penalty corner.
Despite their defensive issues, Pakistan has been exciting to watch offensively. In the 26th minute, a penalty stroke was easily converted by Abu Mahmood.
France’s organization faltered, allowing Pakistan to gain momentum. A penalty corner in the 29th minute saw Sufyan Khan’s initial shot saved, but Murtaza Yaqoob scored on the rebound.
The third quarter was dominated by France again, with Charlet completing his hat-trick from a penalty corner in the 39th minute. Pakistan responded early in the final quarter as Ashraf Rana Waheed finished a superb ball from Amad Butt. Pakistan continued to press, and Butt’s brilliant play led to Rehman Abdul scoring in the 52nd minute, making it 4-5.
Pakistan’s relentless pressure paid off in the 56th minute when Hannan Shahid scored from a penalty corner rebound, leveling the score at 5-5. However, Charlet completed his hat-trick from a penalty corner to secure the win for France.
Victor Charlet praised Pakistan after the match, saying, “It’s hard to describe this game – lots of goals. Against a huge hockey nation like Pakistan, you have to be good as they have many great players. You have to be focused and defend well as they are skillful. It’s not our best game, but we are happy with the win.”
Pakistan’s hockey team has shown remarkable progress in recent months, exciting fans with their performance. Last month, they reached the final of the Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, maintaining an unbeaten run that garnered praise from fans and critics alike. In the final, Pakistan held Japan to a 2-2 draw but narrowly lost 1-4 in the penalty shootout.
The national team’s Dutch coach, Roelant Oltmans, deserves high praise for instilling great spirit among the players and enhancing their skills and stamina in such a short period.
It is encouraging that the Pakistani government has also supported the team for their performance in the Azlan Shah Cup. In a commendable gesture, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif awarded each player one million rupees, providing significant motivation for the team.
