Malaysia defeated Pakistan in a penalty shootout to win the Sultan of Johor Cup hockey tournament after the final ended 2-2 in regulation time. Both teams put up a strong fight in an exciting final, but neither managed to secure victory during regular play. The match was decided by a penalty shootout, where Malaysia held its nerve to claim the title, leaving Pakistan as runners-up.
Coached by Nor Saiful Zaini, Malaysia won all five matches in the round-robin stage before clinching the title. Adam Asyraf Johari, Gagandeep Singh, Rahuul Fazrien Nazrien and Ashrafeel Iman Rizal converted their attempts in the penalty shootout to secure victory.
Pakistan, who had lost 3-2 to Malaysia in a heated round-robin encounter on Wednesday, produced a more composed performance in the final and took a 2-0 lead in the opening 23 minutes.
Rana Waleed opened the scoring from a penalty corner in the 19th minute before adding a second goal four minutes later, finishing a close-range opportunity created by Muhammad Usman. Malaysia responded through penalty-corner goals from Adam Asyraf Johari in the 25th minute and Dheeressh Gunaseelan in the 49th minute to level the contest.
Pakistan were reduced to 10 players in the 57th minute after Ali Hamza received a yellow card for an infringement. However, Malaysia were unable to capitalise on their numerical advantage before the match went to a shootout.
Pakistan’s goals came through Rana Waleed, who scored twice, while Ali Hamza also featured in the team’s scoring contribution, according to the match account.
After the final, Malaysia coach Nor Saiful praised his players for fighting back from a two-goal deficit and completing the tournament with a perfect record. “I am overall satisfied with my players for keeping a 100 per cent record in the tournament,” he said. Malaysia last won the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2011, when the tournament was first held.
