Malaysia qualify for Junior Asia Cup semi-finals
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia beat China 1-0 today in Group B to qualify for the men’s Junior Asia Cup (JAC) hockey semi-finals in Inner Mongolia, China.
Malaysia secured their place in the men's Junior Asia Cup (JAC) hockey semi-finals after defeating China 1-0 in Group B. The decisive goal was scored by Safwan Salihe in the eighth minute. This victory means Malaysia will also participate in the 2027 Junior World Cup, with the tournament's date and venue yet to be announced.
To qualify for the 2027 JWC, Malaysia joins the top four teams from the 10-team tournament in Inner Mongolia. The team finished runners-up in Group B, boasting three wins and one loss. Earlier in the competition, Malaysia had dominated with victories over Kazakhstan (8-0) and Bangladesh (4-2), before narrowly missing out to Pakistan in a 5-2 defeat.
Under the guidance of Coach Nor Saiful Zaini, Malaysia will face defending champions India in the semi-finals, while Pakistan, who claimed all wins in Group B, will meet South Korea in the second semi-final. Nor Saiful acknowledged his team's strong performance in the first three quarters but noted a tough challenge from China in the final 10 minutes, following a yellow card issued to Aferullsyah Ahmad Azuan Syahril for a rough tackle.
Despite the setback, Nor Saiful expressed satisfaction with his team's achievement, emphasizing their target was to reach the semi-finals.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
