Malaysia’s Young Tigers defeated Japan 4-2 in the 2026 Sultan of Johor Cup, scoring three goals in the final 10 minutes to secure victory
JOHOR BAHRU: The national junior men’s hockey squad raked up a comfortable 4-2 win over Japan in their second 2026 Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) match at Johor Hockey Stadium here tonight.
Both teams had several good shots during the first quarter but failed to produce any goals, with the first goal coming from Japan’s Matsuki Mori in the 19th minute.
The home team managed to equalise in the 27th minute through a penalty, that was converted by Muhammad Hafiezudin Mohd Ali, after Japan goalkeepr Kazato Baba brought down midfielder Afferul Syah Ahmad Azuan Syahrill.
The visitors then went ahead in the third quarter through a field goal by Rintaro Sakai in the 43rd minute, only to see the Young Tigers even things up in the 51st minute of the fourth quarter through a penalty corner by Afferul Syah.
The Malaysians made the most of the final minutes of the game, with striker Naaveennash Paniker S Thevendra scoring a field goal in the 56th minute, and defender Dheeressh Gunaseelan scoring through a penalty corner just seconds after for the final fourth goal of the match.
Malaysia now is second with behind leaders Pakistan, both with six points, while Japan is third, and Canada fourth, both with three points, while China is last without a single point yet.