Pakistan secures spot in FIH Nations Cup final with thrilling penalty shootout win over France

Powered by outstanding display from keeper Muneeb-Ur-Rehman, Pakistan on Friday conquered France 3-2 in the penalty shootout to blast their way into the final of the FIH Men’s Hockey Nations Cup at the National Hockey Stadium in Kuala Lumpur.

After the first semi-final ended in a 3-3 draw in the regulation time, Pakistan did well in penalty shootout to overcame strong France and put themselves just one victory away of the FIH Pro League.

Afraz Khan, Hannan Shahid and Rana Waheed Ashraf converted their penalties while Abdul Rehman missed one after the video referral confirmed that he had his foot on the ball when he started moving towards the goal.

Lucas Montecat and Corentin Sellier struck goals for France while Pakistani keeper Muneeb denied Victory Lockwood, Etienne Tynevez and Xavier Esmanjaud.

“The players played with high spirit and were confident before this game and they showed class performance,” Pakistan team manager and former Olympian Usman Khan told Nukta after the fantastic win.

“Coach Tahir Zaman, me as manager and Zeeshan had worked hard on the boys during camp in Pakistan and the boys showcased their talent here. Now the real target is the final and I am confident we will win it,” Usman said.

“If we win the final it will put us in the FIH Pro League and it will be a sort of opportunity which will help Pakistan play against the world’s leading sides and it will develop our team further,” Usman said.

Pakistan will now meet either Korea or New Zealand in the final which will be held on Saturday (tomorrow).

The winners of the final will qualify for the FIH Pro League.

This is a big win for the Green-shirts after long time despite the fact that they qualified for the semi-finals narrowly when Japan struck a late goal against hosts Malaysia in their last Pool B show the other day which gifted Pakistan a pre-final spot.

It was indeed the day of Muneeb who also saved almost four certain goals in the regulation time with his acrobatic display.

Pakistan were at one stage 2-0 down when Xavier Esmenjaud and Victor Charlet struck one goal apiece in the 25th and 34 minutes of the clash.

However, the Green-shirts brought discipline in their ranks and struck three successive goals through Afraz Khan, Sufyan Khan and Mohammad Hammadudin to take 3-2 lead by the end of the third quarter. Just two minutes from time Victor Charlet struck on short corner to make it 3-3 which stretched the showpiece into the penalty shootout.

In the third minute Pakistan rallied hard but France’s defenders did well to avert the danger. In the sixth minute Pakistan claimed penalty corner but Sufyan Khan’s drive went over the goalpost.

A minute later, Rana Waheed Ashraf fed Afraz in the area but he failed to reach the ball.

A couple of minutes later Muneeb saved Pakistan from a huge blow with an acrobatic save on a short-range drive.

In the tenth minute France were awarded a short corner but Abdul Manan did a fine job to block it.

Pakistan had a fiery start to the second quarter but they were denied two back-to-back chances by France’s keeper.

France drew the first blood in the 25th minute when Xavier Esmenjaud was fed in the area and he made no mistake in just tapping the ball into the net.

In the 27th and 29th minutes Muneeb, who was seen feeling pain in his shoulder, denied France twice.

France were leading 1-0 by the end of the second quarter. France started well in the third quarter and doubled their lead when Victor Charlet struck on short corner.

However soon afterwards Pakistan reduced the deficit when Afraz struck on a fine pass from Rana Waheed Ashraf from the top right cordon in the 34th minute. Four minutes later, drag-flick specialist Sufyan Khan brought parity with a thunderous drive from short corner. And just a few seconds later, Mohammad Hammadudin hit another for Pakistan to put them 3-2 ahead by the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter a gruelling fight was witnessed with France making frantic efforts to bring the party and they did it through Victor Charlet’s piercing hit from short corner two minutes from full time. Pakistan was awarded short corner at the stroke of full time but Sufyan’s drive was dangerously high.