Green Shirts remain unbeaten as Ghulam Mustafa’s heroics seal 2-1 win
DAZHOU, CHINA: Pakistan’s Men’s U18 hockey team continued their dominant run in the Asia Cup 2025, defeating China 2-1 in a thrilling Group A clash to book their place in the semi-finals.
The match, played at the Dazhou National Hockey Training Centre, saw Hassan Shahbaz strike early in the 11th minute with a brilliant field goal, putting Pakistan on the front foot. Despite both teams earning two penalty corners each in the second quarter, the score remained 1-0 at halftime.
The Green Shirts extended their lead late in the third quarter through Ali Hanzala, whose precise finish doubled Pakistan’s advantage.
China, determined to stay in the contest, responded swiftly as Jiaxing Lin converted a penalty corner to bring the hosts within one goal.
With the clock ticking down, China mounted a fierce offensive, throwing everything forward in search of an equaliser. But goalkeeper Ghulam Mustafa stood tall under pressure, making a series of critical saves to maintain Pakistan’s lead and secure the victory.
Pakistan’s triumph keeps their unbeaten streak alive, topping Group A with a perfect 12 points from four games and a formidable goal difference of +21 — having scored 25 goals and conceded just four.
Pakistan’s Group Stage Journey:
- 8-0 vs Hong Kong
- 9-0 vs Sri Lanka
- 6-3 vs Bangladesh
- 2-1 vs China
The team now gears up for a high-stakes semi-final showdown against Malaysia on Friday, again in Dazhou.
Pakistan Squad:
Mohammad Usman, Atif Ali, Asam Junaid, Mohammad Abdullah Farooq, Abdullah Awan, Zubair Lateef, Mohammad Yaseen, Mohammad Ali Taj, Ghulam Mustafa, Ali Hamza, Ali Hanzala, Aamir Sohail, Adeel Afzal, Mohammad Zaman, Mohammad Hussain, Mohammad Shaheer, Hasan Shahbaz, Yaseen Jamshaid.
