World ( The cow news digital )
AMSTELVEEN — Pakistan secured a 4-3 victory over Japan in their 9th-16th classification match at the FIH Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands, marking their first World Cup match win in 16 years.
Despite being eliminated from trophy contention following three initial group-stage losses, the national team mounted a strong comeback after trailing Japan by two goals early in the contest. Captained by Moin Shakeel in the absence of the injured Abubakar Mahmood, Pakistan regained momentum through an attacking offensive effort.
Rana Waheed led the scoring for Pakistan with two goals, while Hammaduddin and Hannan Shahid contributed one goal each to seal the win.
The victory marks Pakistan’s first World Cup match win since the 2010 FIH Hockey World Cup, where the four-time world champions defeated Spain 2-1—ending a 6,017-day winless streak in the tournament. Pakistan missed qualification for the 2014 and 2023 editions and went winless during their 2018 campaign.
