Pakistan name Malaysia as main rivals in quest for SoJC title

Pakistan are aiming for their maiden Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) title as the Under-21 tournament commences on Saturday at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor. This will mark their ninth appearance in the competition, with their best result hailing from 2016 when they finished as runners-up. The Green Shirts are up against Malaysia, Japan, China, and Canada in the race.

Pakistan's coach, Syed Sameer, expressed that the team entered the tournament with a confident attitude to claim the title. He mentioned that the squad has brought along most of the players who participated in the Junior Asia Cup (JAC) last month, which Pakistan secured third place in and qualified for next year's Junior World Cup. Sameer highlighted Rana Waleed and Sami Rana Abdul as key players, as they scored 17 goals between them during the JAC.

The coach emphasized that Pakistan aims to outshine their opponents, including Malaysia, Japan, and China. He stated that Malaysia is their primary rival in the quest for the title, but Pakistan has previously defeated them twice during the JAC – 5-2 in the group stage and 4-2 in the bronze-medal playoff. Despite acknowledging that Malaysia may have an edge in front of their home fans, Sameer remains confident about their chances. He urged the team to focus on one match at a time and hope for a strong start.

Pakistan's opening match is scheduled against China on Saturday at 5 pm, while Malaysia, who aim to secure a top-three finish, kick off their campaign the following day against China at 7:30 pm. Sunday's fixtures feature Pakistan vs Canada at 5 pm, followed by Malaysia vs China at 7:35 pm. All matches will take place at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor.