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KUALA LUMPUR: The Pakistan team defeated France on a penalty shootout in the semi-final of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup here at the National Stadium on Friday.
The thrilling match ended in a 3-2 victory for the Green Shirts, as France missed out on three chances to score in the shootout.
For Pakistan, Rana Waheed Ashraf, Hannan Shahid and Afraz scored goals to clinch a memorable win.
In the first quarter of the match, neither team managed to score a goal, despite putting in a strong effort to get the ball into the net. France had their chances, with numerous penalty corners in the beginning and towards the end of the quarter.
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The second quarter featured a similar situation with France and Pakistan looking to open their account in the all-important semi-final. However, France drew the first blood with Smenjaud Xavier giving his team the lead, deflecting the ball into the post.
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.
Pakistan held a 3-1 lead for most of the third quarter, but New Zealand’s Scott Cosslett scored two goals to level the match.
The tension escalated in the final quarter as both teams aimed to secure a victory. In a decisive moment, Scott Cosslett found the back of the net again, delivering a thrilling win for New Zealand.
It’s worth noting that Pakistan began their Nations Hockey Cup campaign with a 3-3 draw against Malaysia, followed by a convincing victory over Japan.
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