PETALING JAYA: The Under-20 men’s national hockey team have made a flying start to the Junior Asia Cup by winning their opening two group games in Hulunbuir City, China.
Their campaign began with a resounding 8-0 triumph over Kazakhstan, followed by a 4-2 victory over Bangladesh on Monday (Sept 7), with striker Shafiq Ammar Fahmi Suzaini’s two goals earning him the Player of the Match award.
“We’re improving with each game,” said coach Nor Saiful Zaini.
However, the former national player expressed concern over his team’s lack of composure in front of goal.
“There were a lot of wasted chances. We need to work on that.”
The Young Tigers sit second in Pool B, level on points with leaders Pakistan, whom they face today.
“It’ll be tough. They (Pakistan) are very strong, so we need to be more tactical.”
Pakistan, silver medallists at the 2024 Cup in Oman, lead Malaysia by a significant 17-goal margin, thanks largely to their 15-0 victory over Kazakhstan.
Saiful stressed the importance of securing three points against Pakistan, with only the top two teams from each pool advancing to the next round.
“Our target is to reach the semi-final, so it’s a must-win game.”
In contrast, the Malaysian women’s team have endured a difficult campaign, sitting bottom of their group after losing all three matches against China, India and Korea.
Results
Men
Pool B: Malaysia 8 Kazakhstan 0, Bangladesh 2 Malaysia 4.
Women
Elite Pool: China 6 Malaysia 1, India 11 Malaysia 1, S. Korea 1 Malaysia 0.
