Pakistan Storm Into Sultan of Johor Cup Final After 2-2 Draw With Japan

Pakistan’s junior hockey team are through to the final of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 after a gritty 2–2 draw with Japan in their last league match on Friday, 23 October, at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru. The Green Shirts, who twice came from behind through goals by Hamza Fayyaz (34th minute) and Ghulam Mustafa (43rd), will now face unbeaten hosts Malaysia in Saturday’s final — a mouth-watering rematch of their 3–2 group-stage defeat three days earlier.

Key Facts: Pakistan Reach the Sultan of Johor Cup Final

Twice Down, Never Out: How the Final Was Won in a Draw

Friday’s match was not for the faint of heart. Pakistan needed at least a draw to stay alive, and Japan — level on points going in — needed exactly the same thing. What followed was 60 minutes of end-to-end hockey that had both benches living on the edge of their seats.

Japan struck first. Sein Yamada gave the visitors the lead in the 18th minute, and suddenly Pakistan’s campaign was hanging by a thread. But the Green Shirts have made a habit of answering adversity in this tournament, and Hamza Fayyaz dragged them level from a penalty corner in the 34th minute — a strike that later earned him the Man of the Match award. Japan hit back again through Kazuki Nakai, punishing a momentary lapse in Pakistan’s possession, and the title dream was slipping once more.

Then came the 43rd minute. Another penalty corner, another ice-cold conversion — this time by Ghulam Mustafa — and Pakistan were level again. For the final quarter, the junior side did what experienced sides do: they managed the game, protected the point, and let the arithmetic do the talking.

The Arithmetic: 18 Goals Beat 16

This is where Pakistan’s free-scoring start to the tournament paid its dividend. Both sides finished the league stage on seven points with an identical goal difference of +8. In that scenario, the tiebreak goes to goals scored — and Pakistan’s 18 beat Japan’s 16, sending the Green Shirts through to Saturday’s title clash.

Those goals came from a campaign that opened in breathtaking fashion: an 8–3 demolition of China followed by a 6–2 masterclass against Canada. You can read how that campaign began in our coverage of Pakistan’s 8–3 opening win over China and the 6–2 victory against Canada — the two results that built the goal mountain Pakistan ultimately stood on.

The only blemish was the narrow 3–2 loss to Malaysia two days before the Japan game, a defeat that left Pakistan’s fate resting on the final round of matches. They responded to that pressure the way champions-in-the-making should.

Saturday’s Final: A Rematch With History Behind It

The final is a rematch, and a loaded one. Malaysia beat Pakistan 3–2 in the league stage on Wednesday in a thriller — Pakistan’s Rana Waleed saw a penalty stroke saved by Malaysian keeper Abid Amsyar Hanif in the 12th minute, Naaveennash Panicker struck twice, and the hosts held on despite Waleed being shown a red card in the 51st minute and Ghulam Mustafa a yellow three minutes later.

But the sub-plot runs deeper than one match. Malaysia’s win was, in part, revenge: Pakistan had beaten the Young Tigers twice at the Junior Asia Cup in Inner Mongolia, China, just last month. Saturday’s final decides bragging rights in junior Asian hockey for the rest of the year — and it comes with a genuine incentive for both sides, given that the Junior World Cup cycle is where this age group is ultimately headed.

Malaysia are the tournament’s form side — unbeaten, with the crowd behind them, and already guaranteed their second final appearance in tournament history (they won the inaugural edition in 2011). Pakistan, by contrast, are chasing their best-ever finish: the Green Shirts took silver in 2016 after losing 1–3 to Australia, and finished fourth last year. This generation has already shown it can beat Malaysia. Now they get one match to prove it when it matters most.

There is also a boost on the team sheet. According to The Sun, Waleed Rana will be available for the final after serving a one-match suspension following the altercation against Malaysia — a timely return of an experienced penalty-stroke taker.

Why This Matters Beyond One Trophy

Pakistani hockey has been starved of good news at the senior level — the senior side’s exclusion from the FIH Hockey Pro League was a bitter pill, with France stepping in to replace Pakistan from 2027, as we reported earlier in Pakistan’s FIH Pro League setback. The junior team carries a different energy entirely: fearless, free-scoring, and now one win away from a title that would send a message far beyond Johor Bahru.

Coach Syed Sameen has praised his players’ determination throughout the comeback campaign, and Friday’s performance showed why. Twice behind, twice level, and into a final that few would have predicted when the scoreboard read 1–0 to Japan in the 18th minute.

For Pakistani fans, Saturday is simple: one match, against the hosts, for the cup. The Green Shirts have already proved they belong at this level. One more 60-minute performance and they prove they own it.

Tale of the Tape: Pakistan vs Malaysia

On paper, this is a toss-up — and the numbers prove it. Malaysia are unbeaten and topped the league stage after a dramatic late comeback to beat Pakistan 3–2 on Wednesday. Naaveennash Panicker scored twice in that match, and the hosts punished every Pakistani error, including striking twice in the final five minutes while the Green Shirts were down to ten men.

But the deeper history favours Pakistan. The Green Shirts beat Malaysia twice at the Junior Asia Cup in Inner Mongolia just last month, and the squad knows it can outscore this opposition — 18 goals in four matches is the best attacking return in the tournament. Malaysia’s strength, meanwhile, is resilience: they have already shown they never stop, and with the home crowd at Taman Daya, they will believe the league-stage win was no fluke.

Three Battles That Will Decide the Final

1. Penalty corners. Both of Pakistan’s goals against Japan came from set pieces, and Fayyaz and Mustafa are in rare touch from the top of the circle. If Pakistan earn corners at the same rate as Friday, the maths favours them.

2. Discipline. The red card for Waleed Rana and the yellow for Ghulam Mustafa against Malaysia turned a winnable game into a defeat. Against a side as clinical as the hosts, Pakistan cannot afford to play a single minute short-handed.

3. The opening 20 minutes. Pakistan have conceded first in both of their defining matches — the Japan draw and the Malaysia defeat. Falling behind again in front of a partisan home crowd would be the fastest way to hand the hosts the initiative. Starting fast, for once, might be the real key.

FAQs: Pakistan in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 Final

Imran Javed · Sports Desk · Updated 23 October 2026