KUALA LUMPUR – New Zealand head coach Greg Nicol wants his side to sharpen their counter-attacking play and defence when they take on Malaysia in their second group match of the ongoing Nations Cup.
His comments came after his team had to come from behind to secure a 2-1 win against Japan at the National Hockey Stadium in a group B encounter last night.
Japan, who fielded Ryosuke Shinohara as the lone forward, opened the scoring in the sixth minute after he received a fine pass from Kosei Kawabe in the middle of the pitch.
New Zealand needed only a few minutes to respond, with Sam Hiha equalising in the 10th minute, beating Japanese goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa at the near post.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Greg said he “wasn’t impressed” with his side’s lack of composure under pressure and urged improvements ahead of their clash with hosts Malaysia.
“We need to make sure we improve this part of our game when we face Malaysia, who are known for having very fast players,” said the 50-year-old.
“I wasn’t really impressed with our performance against Japan, especially how we struggled to control the tempo when they pressed us.
“That led to poor defending and ineffective counter-attacks. That said, my boys had a decent game, but we must get a good result against Malaysia to keep our hopes of winning this tournament and qualifying for the FIH Pro League alive.”
Meanwhile, Japan head coach Yoshihiro Anai remained upbeat despite the defeat, stressing that discipline would be key in their remaining fixtures.
“This is not the end of the world. We need to be more disciplined moving forward,” he said. “We’ve been giving away too many silly fouls, and that has to stop.
“Our players are still young and have plenty of time to improve. They respond well to instructions, and I’m confident they will perform better as the tournament progresses.”
A total of 1,500 spectators were in attendance for yesterday’s match.
Japan will face Pakistan later today, while New Zealand take on Malaysia in their second Group B match tonight at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil. — June 16, 2025