Malaysia edge Pakistan 4-3 in penalty shootout to win Sultan of Johor Cup 2026

Malaysia edged Pakistan 4-3 in the penalty shootout to win the Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 final after the match ended 2-2 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru on Saturday. The hosts recovered from a two-goal deficit and held their nerve in the shootout to clinch the title in front of their home crowd. The final began cautiously, with neither side scoring in the first quarter. Pakistan took the lead in the 19th minute when Waleed Rana converted a penalty corner. Two minutes later, Muhammad Usman doubled the advantage with a fine field goal. Malaysia responded before half-time through Mohammad Adam Johari, who converted a penalty corner in the 25th minute to make it 2-1. Pakistan held that one-goal lead until the final quarter, when Dheeressh Gunaseelan converted a penalty corner in the 49th minute to level the score at 2-2. Both teams pushed for a winner in the closing stages but could not find a decisive goal, sending the final into a penalty shootout. Malaysia took an early advantage in the shootout when Adam Johari scored their first attempt, while Pakistan's Hamza Fayyaz missed the opening chance. Both sides converted their next two attempts, keeping Malaysia one goal ahead. Pakistan drew level at 3-3 through Rana Waleed in their fourth attempt, but Muhammad Ammad failed to convert the fifth after Aferullsyah had scored for Malaysia, handing the hosts a 4-3 shootout win. For Malaysia, the victory was built on resilience and effective penalty-corner execution. Adam Johari and Gunaseelan scored the goals that brought the team back into the contest, while the shootout highlighted the hosts' composure under pressure. Pakistan, meanwhile, will rue failing to protect a 2-0 lead and missing two of their five shootout attempts. The final underlined the fine margins in youth hockey and the importance of discipline in decisive moments.