On Tuesday, the junior team had to face their traditional rivals in what became one of the most exciting match of the Sultan of Johor Cup 2025 at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The match during the group stage ended with the score 3-3 as both teams continued to fight for every inch until the end of the play. 

The contest had all the elements that could make it a memorable one – goals scored very early in the match, great comebacks, and the final moments were so intense that it was hard to tell who would be victorious. The teams drew and that meant the junior team still owned the record and had not lost the competition. 

Disappointment at the Beginning for the Favorites

The team wearing blue was off to a great start and was very confident with the ball. They attacked several times in the first few minutes and forced the defense of their rivals to work very hard. But suddenly things changed when the other team took a quick counter and earned a penalty stroke.  

Our captain Hannan Shahid took it and calmly shot the ball low to the right of the goalkeeper, giving his team the lead just five minutes into the match. This goal turned the course of the match drastically.  

The situation became more difficult when Sufyan Khan successfully took a penalty corner to extend the lead to 2-0. The favorites were now in a very tricky situation with a two-goal deficit and needing something extraordinary to turn the match around.

The Comeback Begins

Here’s where the match got really interesting:

• Araijeet Singh Hundal pulled one back with a penalty stroke in the 43rd minute, bringing the score to 2-1​
• Sourabh Anand Kushwaha fired home a scrappy equalizer in the 47th minute to make it 2-2​
• Manmeet Singh completed the turnaround by bundling the ball in from close range in the 53rd minute​
• Sufyan Khan struck his second goal of the match in the 55th minute to secure the tie​

The team that was losing 0-2 suddenly found themselves ahead 3-2, showing incredible character and determination. They switched to an all-out attack approach that pushed their rivals onto the back foot.​

Late Drama Secures the Draw

Just as it seemed that one team would claim all three points, Sufyan Khan reappeared. He scored his second penalty corner of the match with only a few minutes left to tie the match at 3-3.​

In the last moments of the match, both teams tried hard to find the team who won, but none of them managed to score that important goal. After an exciting 60 minutes of hockey, the match finished with both teams athletes shaking hands.​

Tournament Context

This match was the third group-stage match for both teams in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2025. The tournament consists of six teams namely: Australia, Great Britain, New Zealand, Malaysia, and the two that performed on this day.​

The tournament period is from October 11 to October 18 with all matches being held at Taman Daya Hockey Stadium. This yearly under-21 competition has been around since 2011 and has already become one of the most significant junior hockey tournaments in the world.​

If you are a hockey lover, Kheloexch is one such platform that keeps you in the loop with all the latest scores and match updates. Through Kheloexch, you can stay connected and never miss any key moments of the major tournaments like this one.

What This Result Means

The draw maintained the competition alive for both teams to enter the knockout round. One team’s streak of no losses went on while the opposite one proved that it could be a tough competitor if it was on a good day. ​ 

PR Sreejesh, who has twice won the bronze Olympic medal, is now the junior squad’s coach in the tournament, passing on the young athletes the great experience. The team’s approach to large-scale matches has been affected positively by the coach’s presence on the sideline. ​

Key Takaways

The match revealed numerous critical points on both sides. Recovering from two goals behind requires strong mentality, and the favorites displayed that they have tons of such. On the other hand, their rivals proved they were able to confront the better ranks and almost came up with an upset. ​

The duel also pointed out how closely traditional rivals of the junior level division were. The thrilling match that is always a hallmark of these two teams now again proved to be a classic showdown. ​ 

Both teams will feel they can do better in the remaining group matches after this draw. The point gained might turn out to be very important when the final standings are made and the qualification for the next round is decided.