SHAH ALAM – National hockey player Fitri Saari believes that Malaysia’s opening group B match against Pakistan at the upcoming FIH Nations Cup will come down to which team executes their penalty corners better.
The match-up, set for Sunday at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, is expected to be a tightly contested affair — much like past encounters between the two sides.
“Our game against Pakistan is going to be 50-50. It’s always close,” said Fitri, speaking to reporters after a sponsorship event between the Malaysia Hockey Confederation (MHC) and Bermaz Auto in Glenmarie today.
“Last year, we lost 5-4 to them (at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup) and drew 4-4 (in the Nations Cup). I believe this time, it will boil down to who converts their penalty corners.”
Malaysia will be hoping that the presence of drag flick legend Sohail Abbas, who was appointed as a specialist coach by the MHC late last year, will give them the edge in this department.
Abbas, widely regarded as one of the greatest penalty corner specialists in the history of the game, made an instant impact with Malaysia’s juniors at the Junior Asia Cup in Oman. The upcoming tournament will mark a sterner test of his influence at senior level.
Veteran midfielder Marhan Jalil believes Sohail’s insights could prove pivotal against his former team.
“Our flickers have picked up some important pointers from Sohail, and now it’s time to see those lessons applied in a real match,” said Marhan.
“Hopefully, he’ll also be able to help us exploit some of Pakistan’s weaknesses.”
Malaysia are grouped alongside Pakistan, New Zealand and Japan. Only the top two teams will progress to the semi-finals.
The Nations Cup, now in its third edition, serves as a qualifier for the FIH Pro League.
Malaysia have set a semi-final target for the tournament, with coach Sarjit Singh keen to see continued improvement from his relatively young squad, who have undergone test tours in Australia and South Korea in recent months. — June 11, 2025