Heroic goalkeeping by Muneeb Ur-Rehman seals the deal in a thrilling semi-final
KUALA LUMPUR: In an edge-of-the-seat thriller at the National Hockey Stadium, Pakistan edged past France 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout on Friday to book their place in the final of the FIH Nations Cup.
With the match tied 3-3 at full-time after a rollercoaster four quarters, it was down to nerves, precision—and a brilliant performance by Pakistani goalkeeper Muneeb Ur-Rehman. The young keeper stood tall when it mattered most, blocking three of France’s shootout attempts and setting the stage for victory.
Rana Waheed Ashraf, Hannan Shahid, and Afraz kept their cool to convert their shots and send the Green Shirts into the final, where they will now face either New Zealand or Korea on Saturday.
The match itself was a battle of nerves and resilience. Both teams played cautiously in the first quarter, denying each other any scoring opportunities despite multiple penalty corners—France had four, Pakistan one.
France struck first blood in the second quarter through Xavier Esmenjaud, who sliced through Pakistan’s defense with a brilliant field goal in the 25th minute. Early in the third quarter, Victory Charlet doubled France’s lead, and it looked like Pakistan was in real trouble.
But then came an unforgettable comeback.
Within five minutes, Pakistan turned the game on its head. Afraz opened the scoring for the Green Shirts after a smart assist from Rana Waheed Ashraf. Moments later, a French foul earned Pakistan a penalty corner, which Sufyan Khan calmly converted to level the game.
Riding the wave of momentum, Muhammad Hammadudin scored Pakistan’s third, giving them a 3-2 lead as the penultimate quarter ended.
In the final quarter, Pakistan focused on ball possession to kill time. But with just three minutes to go, a defensive error gifted France a penalty corner. Charlet once again delivered, making it 3-3 and sending the game into a shootout.
In the 59th minute, Pakistan had a golden chance to seal the win with a penalty corner—but Sufyan Khan’s shot hit a French defender and the opportunity was lost.
That’s when the shootout heroics began. Muneeb Ur-Rehman’s outstanding saves combined with precise strikes from Ashraf, Shahid, and Afraz secured a hard-fought and memorable win for Pakistan.
Now, the Green Shirts stand just one step away from lifting the Nations Cup trophy.
