PETALING JAYA: The national hockey team's hopes of reaching the Nations Cup semi-finals were dashed after a crushing 5-1 defeat to New Zealand in Cape Town, South Africa, on Tuesday (June 16).
The Speedy Tigers suffered their second loss in the group stage, leaving them in third place in Group A with three points.
With only one match remaining, Malaysia can no longer overtake second-placed Japan, who are four points ahead, while New Zealand have secured top spot with a perfect nine points after three games.
The Kiwis took charge of the match as they did not give Malaysia room to breathe, with goals coming from Kane Russel (18th, 25th minutes), Dylan Thomas (20th), Isaac Houlbrooke (42nd) and Jonty Elmes (51st).
The national team got their consolation goal through Akhimullah Anuar Esook's field goal in the 55th minute.
With their semi-final hopes coming to an end, Malaysia can now only target a fifth-place finish. However, they must first overcome South Korea in their final group stage match on Wednesday.
A fifth-place finish would be Malaysia's second-best finish in the Nations Cup after coming in third in the Inaugural edition in 2022, which was also held in South Africa.
The team then suffered disappointing results in the next two editions as they finished seventh in Poland in 2024 and sixth in Kuala Lumpur last year.
