Pakistan stage remarkable comeback to beat Japan 4-3
Pakistan ended a 16-year wait for a victory at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup with a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over Japan in their classification match at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Saturday, as reported by The Nation. The Green Shirts, returning to the World Cup after an eight-year absence, produced their most spirited performance of the tournament so far, recovering from a two-goal deficit to secure their first victory in the competition since beating Spain 2-1 in the 2010 edition.
Japan made a flying start, putting Pakistan under pressure from the opening whistle. Hyota Yamada opened the scoring in the seventh minute before Kaito Tanaka doubled Japan's advantage in the 15th minute, leaving Pakistan trailing 2-0 after the first quarter, according to the same report.
Pakistan responded emphatically. Rana Waheed Ashraf pulled one back in the 22nd minute before completing his brace early in the third quarter to bring Pakistan level at 2-2. Pakistan's momentum continued as Hammaduddin Muhammad struck just a minute later to put the Green Shirts ahead for the first time. Japan refused to surrender, with Koji Yamasaki restoring parity in the 36th minute to make it 3-3. With the match finely balanced, Pakistan produced the decisive moment in the 41st minute when Hannan Shahid found the net to give his side a 4-3 lead. Japan pushed forward relentlessly in the closing stages, but Pakistan's defence held firm to preserve a memorable victory, The Nation reported.
Another report from The Nation, carrying a press release, also described the match as part of the FIH World Cup 2026 being held in Belgium and the Netherlands, with the same goal scorers and timing.
Context of the win
The victory ended Pakistan's long World Cup drought after they failed to qualify for the 2014 and 2023 editions and remained winless at the 2018 tournament. Pakistan had earlier failed to reach the knockout stage of the ongoing competition after losing to England and India and drawing 3-3 with Wales in the pool phase. They are now competing in the classification matches for ninth to 16th place.
Concerns over Pakistan hockey's decline
While the win over Japan provided a bright spot, Pakistan's overall performance at the World Cup has left former players deeply concerned about the state of the sport, according to The Times of India. The four-time champions have now gone 32 years without winning the title and were knocked out of the competition after another disappointing campaign. They will now play South Africa in the classification match for 11th place, the report said.
Former internationals believe Pakistan hockey urgently needs young talent and better results to regain public interest. They also feel cricket's growing dominance in the country is partly linked to hockey's decline.
Perspectives
The Pakistan Hockey Federation has announced plans for a new hockey league and efforts to promote the sport in schools. However, former players believe the national team's immediate focus should be the Asian Games in Japan next month.
Former Olympian Wasim Feroze said success against strong Asian teams could help restore confidence in Pakistan hockey. "This hockey league and all is fine in the long run but right now Pakistan hockey needs an injection (of fresh blood) which will only come if we do well in the Asian Games against India, Malaysia, Japan, China, Korea and other sides," said Feroze, as quoted by The Times of India. He warned that without better results, youngsters could continue moving away from hockey. "Everyone wants to play cricket and we are not getting enough talent from the grassroots level," he added.
Former international Ahmed Alam believes Pakistan must find out why the team continues to struggle against European and SENA nations, including South Africa, England, New Zealand and Australia. He noted that Pakistan lost all their FIH Pro League matches against European and SENA teams and finished ninth and last in the Pro League. Alam pointed to India as the only Asian team consistently competing with leading European sides, Australia and New Zealand, crediting its stronger hockey structure.
Former great Rasheed-ul-Hasan expressed disappointment that both Pakistan and India missed the World Cup semifinals. He blamed FIH rule changes for allowing European nations to exploit their aggressive style, saying: "It hurts to see this but we have only ourselves to blame for allowing the European nations in the FIH to change rules to their advantage and then exploiting the changed scenario with their aggressive and fast style of play."