Pakistan stun France to reach Nations Cup final
World No.15 Pakistan stunned world No.10 France 3-2 in a penalty shootout after a thrilling 3-3 draw in regulation time in the semi-finals at the National Hockey Stadium.
World No.11 New Zealand, meanwhile, edged South Korea 4-3 on penalties after their clash ended 2-2 in normal time.
Pakistan's Rana Waheed Ashraf, named man of the match, said it was a proud moment for his country to reach a final after such a long time.
"It feels like the revival of hockey. We're just one step away from qualifying for the FIH Pro League - that would be massive for Pakistan hockey," said Rana.
France coach John-John Dohmen admitted his side let the game slip.
"I think we started well and deserved to win. But in the second half, we forgot what we had to do.
"Pakistan played really well in the second half and were better than us in the shootout."
Results
Semi-finals: France 3 Pakistan 3 (Pakistan win 3-2 on shootout), S. Korea 2 New Zealand 2 (New Zealand win 4-3 on shootout)
Classification: Wales 6 Japan 4, Malaysia 4 S. Africa 2
Saturday's fixtures (June 21)
5th placing: Wales v Malaysia (4pm)
7th placing: Japan v S. Africa (1.30pm)
3rd placing: France vs S. Korea (6.30pm)
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Free Malaysia Today
China's Qin wins ‘miracle' second breaststroke gold at swim worlds
Qin Haiyang celebrates after winning the gold medal in the men's 200m breaststroke final at the World Aquatics Championships. (AP pic) SINGAPORE : China's roaring Qin Haiyang won his second breaststroke gold of the Singapore swimming world championships on Friday, edging a 200m nailbiter. World record holder Qin touched the wall in 2:07.41, ahead of Japan's Ippei Watanabe (2:07.70) and Caspar Corbeau of the Netherlands (2:07.73). The 26-year-old Qin won the 100m breaststroke earlier in the week but he celebrated his second victory as if it were his first. He punched the air before whipping up the delighted Chinese fans in the arena, who screamed him on to a thrilling victory. Qin started the race in lane eight after qualifying slowest from the semi-finals but it made no difference as he regained the world title he won in 2023 in style. 'Amazing,' said Qin. 'Have you heard of the lane eight miracle? 'I did not know if I was second or third, I just heard 'whoo', so I knew I had won.' The lead changed hands several times throughout the race, with American AJ Pouch and Russian Kirill Prigoda also challenging. In the end it was Qin who got the decisive touch ahead of Watanabe, giving the Chinese swimmer his fourth medal of the championships in Singapore. Qin is returning to form after a difficult time at last year's Paris Olympics, where he did not even make the final of the 200m breaststroke. His preparations for the Games were thrown into turmoil when he was implicated in a major doping scandal months before the Games. A report named Qin among 23 Chinese swimmers who had tested positive for a prescription heart drug ahead of the pandemic-delayed 2021 Tokyo Olympics. They were not sanctioned after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) accepted the argument of Chinese authorities that the positive tests were caused by contaminated food.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- New Straits Times
Josue admits he was surprised by Malaysia's withdrawal
KUALA LUMPUR: National player Paulo Josue has admitted he was surprised by Malaysia's withdrawal from the Central Asian Football Association (Cafa) Nations Cup. The 36-year-old Brazil-born Josue felt the Nations Cup would have provided valuable experience for Malaysia's players as the tournament features strong teams like Iran and Uzbekistan. KL City midfielder Josue has earned 26 caps and scored nine goals since his Malaysia debut in March 2023. However, he believes that the replacement matches for Malaysia following the Nations Cup withdrawal, are still worthwhile. Harimau Malaya will play friendlies against Palestine and Singapore in September in Kuala Lumpur. "It's Fifa days, so we need to play with someone. I think Singapore has a strong team. Palestine is also a top country. It's interesting for us to play them and to keep testing ourselves," said Josue.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Rugby-Australia lose two hookers ahead of Lions series finale
FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Autumn Internationals - Wales v Australia - Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, Wales, Britain - November 17, 2024 Australia's Matt Faessler in action with Wales's Jac Morgan Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo SYDNEY (Reuters) -The Wallabies have been forced to call Brandon Paenga-Amosa into the team for Saturday's final test against the British & Irish Lions after hookers Dave Porecki and Matt Faessler both picked up injuries in training. Porecki, who started last week's second test, suffered a heel injury and Faessler, who started the first, picked up a calf issue in training on Thursday. Billy Pollock moves up from the replacements to start in place of Porecki on Saturday, while Paenga-Amosa will come off the bench as the Wallabies look to grab a consolation win after losing the first two tests. Captain Harry Wilson said the team had great faith in the powerful Paenga-Amosa, who played the last of his 20 tests against Ireland last November. "Brandon joined us yesterday afternoon after a bit of a tough Thursday training session, it's obviously gutting to lose great players in Porecki and Fez," the number eight told reporters at Stadium Australia on Friday. "But we've got a lot of confidence in BPA, he's been around this group for quite a long time over the last year and he's already faced the Lions three times. So he's got a lot of confidence and ... he has fit in very quickly." Paenga-Amosa, who faced the Lions in tour matches for Western Force, the Australia-New Zealand selection and the First Nations-Pasifika XV, will bring power to the front row but his lineout throwing has sometimes been wayward. Coach Joe Schmidt had already been forced into three changes to his team by injuries but Wilson said it had been good to have fresh faces Taniela Tupou and Dylan Pietsch in the matchday squad. "What they've given us is fresh legs on the training park, fresh energy, more chatter around the training field. Just been nice and they're just raring to go," he said. "They've had to watch the last two test matches so they're all very excited at this opportunity and I've got no doubt they'll take it." The fourth change Schmidt made in his initial selection was a call-up for Nic White, who announced on Thursday that he would be retiring from test rugby after Saturday's match. The Wallabies players all wore fake moustaches at Friday's training session in honour of the scrumhalf's famously hairy upper lip. "He's a competitor, and he's loved by the group," Wilson said. "He will be missed in this gold jersey, because he really does represent what it is to be a Wallaby." Wilson admitted the players had been crushed after losing the second test to a last-minute try last Saturday but spirits had risen during the week. "We just want to keep improving. We want to keep being a better team," he said. "We need to play an 80 minute game and get the result which I think we deserve for each other." Revised team: 15–Tom Wright, 14–Max Jorgensen, 13–Joseph Suaalii, 12–Len Ikitau, 11–Dylan Pietsch, 10–Tom Lynagh, 9–Nic White, 8–Harry Wilson, 7–Fraser McReight, 6–Tom Hooper, 5–Will Skelton, 4–Nick Frost, 3–Taniela Tupou, 2–Billy Pollard, 1–James Slipper Replacements: 16–Brandon Paenga-Amosa, 17–Angus Bell, 18–Zane Nonggorr, 19–Jeremy Williams, 20–Langi Gleeson, 21–Tate McDermott, 22–Ben Donaldson, 23–Andrew Kellaway (Reporting by Nick Mulvenney; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
