New Zealand defeated Pakistan 4–2 in the FIH Hockey World Cup classification match after taking control early in the contest. The Black Sticks dominated the first half and built a commanding 3–0 lead. Pakistan responded strongly in the third quarter, scoring twice to reduce the deficit and put New Zealand under pressure.
Despite their comeback, Pakistan could not complete the fightback as New Zealand held on for a 4–2 victory. Sufyan Khan and Afraz scored one goal each for Pakistan, but the national team could not find an equaliser. New Zealand eventually secured a 4–2 victory. This was Pakistan’s third defeat of the Hockey World Cup. The national team will now face South Africa on August 28.
Earlier in the tournament, Pakistan defeated Japan 4–3 to secure a World Cup victory after 16 years. Pakistan’s previous World Cup win came against Spain, when they recorded a 2–1 victory in the 2010 edition. Since then, the national team had not won a World Cup match until 2026.
It is worth mentioning here that in an earlier match, Pakistan ended a 16-year wait for a Hockey World Cup victory after defeating Japan 4-3 in their Group G encounter. The national team staged a remarkable comeback after falling 2-0 behind to secure a thrilling 4-3 win over Japan in Amstelveen.
Rana Waheed Ashraf scored two goals for Pakistan, while Hanan Shahid and Hammaduddin scored one goal each. It should be noted that Pakistan have already been eliminated from the race for the World Cup semi-finals after suffering defeats against India and England. Their match against Wales ended in a 3-3 draw.
Earlier, Pakistan defeated Spain 2-1 in the 2010 Hockey World Cup, which was their last World Cup match victory before the win against Japan. Pakistan failed to qualify for the 2014 Hockey World Cup, while they could not win a single match at the 2018 World Cup.