Pakistan secured their first victory at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy with a 2-1 win over Japan, moving up to second place on the points table.
In contrast to their previous two matches, where they had started defensively, Pakistan began their third game with an aggressive approach. Ahmad Nadeem put Pakistan ahead in the ninth minute with a goal assisted by Shahid Hannan.
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Pakistan continued their dominance, adding another goal in the second quarter to take a 2-0 lead. Japan scored their lone goal by converting a penalty corner.
In their previous match, Pakistan had drawn 2-2 with South Korea. Despite taking an early lead, Pakistan couldn’t hold on to their advantage, with South Korea equalizing in the final quarter. Hyun Jigwang’s goal in the dying minutes of the second quarter initially gave South Korea the lead, which they maintained until late in the match.
