Pakistan stun Malaysia with comeback win to secure Junior Asia Cup bronze

HULUNBUIR: Pakistan produced a stunning comeback to defeat Malaysia 4-2 and secure the bronze medal at the 2026 Men’s Junior Asia Cup at the Moqi Training Base on Sunday.

The Men in Green found themselves two goals behind early in the match but responded emphatically, scoring four unanswered goals to complete a memorable comeback. Rana Abdul Sami was the star of the show, scoring twice to help Pakistan secure the bronze medal.

Malaysia took an early lead when Adam Ashraf Johari scored a field goal in the 11th minute. Shafiq Ammar Fahmi Suzaini then doubled Malaysia’s advantage two minutes later by converting a penalty corner.

Pakistan came out strongly after the interval, with Rana Abdul Sami scoring twice through field goals in the 34th and 47th minutes to bring his side level at 2-2.

The Men in Green completed the turnaround five minutes later when Muhammad Shaheer converted a penalty corner to put Pakistan 3-2 ahead.

Waleed Rana then sealed the bronze medal in the 56th minute by converting a penalty stroke, completing Pakistan’s four-goal comeback.

It is pertinent to mention that Pakistan had enjoyed an impressive run in the group stage, winning all four of their Group B matches to finish top of the table with 12 points.

They began their campaign with a commanding 15-0 victory over Kazakhstan before defeating China 4-2. Pakistan then maintained their winning momentum with a 5-2 victory over Malaysia.

The Men in Green concluded their group-stage campaign with a 3-0 win over Bangladesh, maintaining their unbeaten record and advancing to the knockout stage.

However, Pakistan’s hopes of reaching the final were dashed in the semi-final, where they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Korea.