Malaysia claim Sultan of Johor Cup after shootout win over Pakistan
Goalkeeper Adib Amsyar Hanif made two saves in the shootout as Malaysia won the title for the first time since 2011.
Malaysia recovered from a two-goal deficit to beat Pakistan 4-3 on penalties in the Sultan of Johor Cup final at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium. The teams finished regulation time level at 2-2, before goalkeeper Adib Amsyar Hanif stopped two attempts in the shootout.
Pakistan went ahead through Rana Waleed’s penalty corner in the 19th minute and doubled their advantage four minutes later. Malaysia responded with penalty-corner goals from Adam Asyraf Johari in the 25th minute and Dheeressh Gunaseelan in the 49th.
A yellow card for Ali Hamza left Pakistan with 10 players in the 57th minute, but Malaysia could not turn that advantage into a winning goal before the shootout.
Adam Asyraf Johari, Gagandeep Singh, Rahuul Fazrien Nazrien and Ashrafeel Iman Rizal scored Malaysia’s shootout goals.
Coach Nor Saiful Zaini praised his players’ recovery and said he was satisfied with their perfect tournament record. Malaysia had won all five round-robin matches in the Under-21 competition, including a 3-2 victory over Pakistan. Their previous title came in the inaugural edition in 2011.
