By Prabhjot Singh | Netherlands |
Former World Cup champions Pakistan came from behind twice to hold South Africa to a 4-4 deadlock before winning the penalty shootout 4-3 to finish 11th in the FIH World Cup Hockey for men at Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Friday.
This is the same position Pakistan had got for the first time in the 1986 World Cup in London. The only difference is that at that time its opponent for the 11th and 12th position was India and only 12 teams played in that event.
This time it was the fourth occasion when Pakistan played for the 11th and 12th position. Difference has been that on previous occasions; there were 12 teams in the contest and this time 16.
Pakistan staging a comeback in the World Cup after a 16-year hiatus, ended its campaign with a penalty shootout win, a great morale booster, for a team that has been trying to rejuvenate itself like a phoenix.
The Green Shirts drew 4-4 with South Africa in regulation time, with a late equaliser keeping Pakistan alive and sending the match to a shootout.
Pakistan held its nerve from the spot, with Ammad Butt scoring the winning penalty to secure a 4-3 shootout victory. The result sees Pakistan finish 11th, an improvement on their 12th-place finishes in the 2010, and 2018 editions.
The only regular time win for Pakistan came in its game against Japan that it won 4-3 as it was held to a 3-3 draw by Wales and beaten 3-5 by India in the pool games. It lost 2-4 to New Zealand in play offs.
It was South Africa that started calling shots in the first quarter by taking a comfortable 1-0 lead in the first quarter, which was consolidated in the third minute of the second quarter, thanks to goals by Trevor de Lora (8th minute, penalty corner) and captain Dayaan Cassiem (18th minute, field goal).
Pakistan stormed back into the game with goals in the 21st minute (Afraz) and Muhammad Ammad (22nd minute, penalty corner). Pakistan took the lead for the first time in the game in the 32nd minute through skipper Waheed Ashraf Rana from a penalty corner.
South Africa not only equalised in the 40th minute through its skipper Mustapha Cassiem (penalty corner) but also took the lead – 4-3 – in the 55th minute, again through Mustapha Cassiem. Pakistan was lucky to restore parity in the last minute through Mohammad Hummadudin through an opportunist field goal.
After the teams ended at 4-4 deadlock, the penalty shootout was enforced for the first time in the tournament that saw Pakistan emerging victors at 4-3.
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(Prabhjot Singh is a veteran journalist with over three decades of experience of 14 years with Reuters News and 30 years with The Tribune Group. He has covered Punjab and Sikh affairs for more than three decades besides covering seven Olympics)
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