Urooj Niazi 
pakistan reaches the semi finals hockey nations cup in kuala lumpur
Pakistan qualifies for the semi-finals of the Hockey Nations Cup
In a tense encounter in Malaysia, the Pakistan hockey team has qualified for the semi-finals of the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2024_2025 despite suffering a 2-1 loss to New Zealand in this pool match.
Pakistan is already aware that a narrow defeat is still enough to qualify, given their superior goal difference against France. New Zealand, before this match, was already secure in their semi-final position and were pool leaders. Although Pakistan tried hard, they were unable to defend against the first goal scored by Hugo Inglis in the 18th minute. The team fought back hard in the second half to level the scores with a goal from Rana Waheed. However, Jonty Elmes scored soon after to put New Zealand 2-1 up and secured the match.
Pakistan through on goal difference
Even though the result was not favourable for Pakistan, their earlier victories meant they had a sufficient goal difference that allowed them to stay above France. They now prepare for a match against South Africa in the semi-final stages, a team they defeated 4-0 in the group stage.
