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KUALA LUMPUR: The Pakistan hockey team player Hannan Shahid became emotional following the Green Shirts’ qualification for the Nations Cup final here at the National Stadium on Friday.
Hannan Shahid was seen embracing Abdul Rehman in a video posted on the national team’s social media page.
Pakistan defeated France in a 3-2 penalty shootout, courtesy of goals from Rana Waheed Ashraf, Hannan Shahid, and Afraz. Overall, the Green Shirts have scored 12 goals in four matches.
Pakistan will now face New Zealand in the final, set to be played tomorrow.
The intense match started with both teams trying hard in the first quarter to score a goal. France had their chances, with numerous penalty corners in the beginning and towards the end of the quarter.
The second quarter began with a similar scoreline, as France and Pakistan both battled to calm their nerves. However, France managed to score the first goal courtesy of Smenjaud Xavier’s deflection.
As France entered the third quarter, the hopes for the Green Shirts qualifying looked grim. Charlet Victor pierced the nets with a flick, giving the French team a significant lead.
However, Afraz gave Pakistan a sigh of relief after scoring the first goal. In the crucial last minutes of the quarter, the Green Shirts scored back-to-back goals, taking the lead with a score of 3-2. Sufyan Khan and Hammadudin Muhammad both scored two crucial goals in the span of a minute.
For the unversed, the Pakistan hockey team qualified for the semi-finals of the FIH Nations Hockey Cup due to a superior goal difference compared to the host nation, Malaysia.
Malaysia secured a 2-1 victory over Japan on Wednesday; however, they were eliminated because Pakistan scored nine goals in their three matches, while Malaysia scored eight.
On the same day, the New Zealand hockey team came from behind in a thrilling encounter to defeat Pakistan 4-3, sealing a semi-final spot.
READ: Pakistan defeat France in penalty thriller in Nations Hockey Cup semi-final
