Pakistan’s under-21 hockey team made it two wins from two at the Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026 on October 18, beating Canada 6-2 at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru with six different players on the scoresheet.
The result followed the 8-3 comeback win over China in the opening match a day earlier, and it kept Pakistan top of the five-team round-robin table at the Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026 with six points, 14 goals scored and a goal difference of plus nine.
Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026: Six Scorers in the 6-2 Win
Pakistan set the tone early in light rain at the Taman Daya Hockey Stadium. Hamza Fayyaz opened the scoring from a penalty corner in the 9th minute, and Hamza Ali doubled the lead with a field goal five minutes later. Rana Abdullah Sami made it 3-0 in the 25th minute, before Canada replied through Gurnoor Bhullar on the half hour to send the teams in at 3-1.
Any hope of a Canadian fightback faded soon after the break. Rana Waleed restored the three-goal cushion with a field goal in the 38th minute, and although Abhiram Yogeshwaran pulled one back for Canada in the 45th minute, Pakistan finished strongly. Aasam Haider converted a penalty corner in the 51st minute and Adeel added a field goal three minutes later to complete the 6-2 scoreline. The FIH match record lists the umpires as Ren Tianhe of China and Palani Kumar of Malaysia, and shows Pakistan winning 12 penalty corners to Canada’s two, converting two of them.
Fourteen Goals in Two Games as the Attack Clicks
The spread of scorers is becoming a theme of this campaign. Six players scored against Canada, just as seven different players found the net against China, which makes the side hard to defend against at the Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026. Across the two matches Pakistan have scored 14 goals, made up of eight field goals, five penalty corner conversions and one penalty stroke, according to figures reported by The News, and Aasam Haider leads the tournament scoring chart with three goals.
Pakistan Hockey Federation president Mohyuddin Ahmad Wani congratulated the junior team and its players on the victory, praising their performance at the Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026 and wishing them success in the matches ahead. The win came in Canada’s debut edition of the tournament, while defending champions Australia are not competing this year, and the top two teams in the round robin will meet in the final on October 24.
Coach Warns That Malaysia and Japan Will Be Tougher Tests
Head coach Sameer Hussain told The News that the team’s performance has been satisfactory so far and that the players are gaining confidence, but he cautioned that the matches against Malaysia and Japan will be tough. “We are very attentive and taking both teams seriously,” he said, noting that Malaysia have at least three players from their senior national team as well as home advantage, while Japan have five players with senior international experience. By contrast, most of Pakistan’s squad at the Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026 are under 20, and only one member of the side has represented the senior national team.
Hussain was honest about the work still to do. He said the team needs to improve defensively, particularly as both goalkeepers lack experience, and he pointed to penalty corner conversion as another area to sharpen: Pakistan earned 16 penalty corners across the first two matches but did not convert enough of them, partly because the bouncy playing surface and rainy conditions made it hard for the drag-flickers to find their timing. He added that the two wins had boosted confidence and that the players were gradually developing better coordination and combination play.
Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026: What Comes Next in Johor Bahru
Pakistan face hosts Malaysia on October 21 and Japan on October 23 in their remaining round-robin matches, with the final and the third place playoff both scheduled for October 24. A place in the final would match Pakistan’s best ever finish at the tournament, the runners-up spot in 2016, and two more strong results would take this young side a step further than any Pakistan team before them.
The junior team’s run adds to a busy period for the sport at home and abroad. The Pakistan Hockey League launched on October 14 with the aim of reviving the national game, and Pakistan is set to host Canada for a bilateral hockey series in February 2027, a meeting that will carry extra interest after the Pakistan Canada Johor Cup 2026 junior contest in Johor Bahru.
Photo: Radio Pakistan, file photo of a field hockey match (not the Johor Cup game)
Sources
- The Express Tribune (via 10BM News): Pakistan juniors crush Canada at Johor Cup
- The News International: Matches against Malaysia, Japan will be tough, says Sameer Hussain
- FIH Tournament Management System: Official match record, Pakistan 6-2 Canada, October 18, 2026
- Wikipedia: 2026 Sultan of Johor Cup (FIH-sourced standings and tournament records)
Umar is an engineer by profession and a passionate writer by passion. He has a deep interest in sharing good news related to Pakistan and has been working hard to promote the positive image of his homeland. Umar has written numerous articles on various topics related to Pakistan, such as technology, sports, culture, and economy.