DHAKA: Pakistan made a triumphant start to their three-match away series against Bangladesh as they registered a resounding 8-2 win in the opening match here at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium on Thursday.
The hosts made a good start to the series opener, with Pakistan denying three chances in the opening minute, but the visitors finally managed to open the scoring in the fourth minute when captain Ammad Butt successfully converted a penalty.
Bangladesh scored the neutralizer just seconds before the end of the first quarter, thanks to Hozifa Hossain’s sensational field goal.
However, the Green Shirts needed just four minutes to regain their lead when Nadeem Ahmed scored in the 19th minute after a close-range battle.
Afraz extended Pakistan’s lead to 3–1 in the 24th minute before scoring a stunning field goal five minutes later.
The visitors then dominated possession, paving the way for them to add four more to their tally, as Ghazanfar Ali, Waheed Ashraf Rana and Hannan Shahid scored one goal each, while Nadeem scored his second.
Bangladesh managed to pull one back in the 58th minute through Amirul Islam but the deficit remained beyond reach to be neutralized as Pakistan won the match in dominant fashion.
For the unversed, the second match of the series will be played at the same venue on Friday, while the third and final match is scheduled for Sunday. The overall winner of the series will advance to the qualifying round of the 2026 FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup.
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