Pakistan, Japan to compete for Azlan Shah Hockey Cup title in final today

Pakistan and Japan will face each other in the much-anticipated final of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2024 today.

The match, set to kick off on at 5:30 pm, will see both teams vying to secure the trophy of the coveted title after remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament.

Currently, Japan are the top ranked team on the points table with 13 points by winning four matches and drawing one.

Whereas, the national side is ranked second with 11 points with three wins and two draws, including the one against New Zealand on Friday.

The match will be broadcast live on Geo Super.

Shedding light on Pakistan’s opponents in the final, forward Abdul Hannan Shahid said that Japan’s defensive line is extremely solid. Japan have only conceded four goals, the fewest in the tournament so far, in as many matches.

"Japan are defensively very solid and they don’t give many openings to their opponents,” he said.

"As far as the attack is concerned, they might not be as creative as some of the other teams but they are quite effective in taking advantage of their opponents’ mistakes on the field."

"Pakistan have scored a high number of goals but at the same time, we are conceding at the other end as well. However, we will try to rectify our defensive flaws in the remaining matches," he added.