Sultan of Johor Cup 2026 Starts Tomorrow: Pakistan U21 Open Against China

Tomorrow afternoon, Pakistan’s under-21s walk out in Johor Bahru for the match that shapes their whole week. China first up, 2:05 pm Pakistan time, and there’s no easing into this. Five teams, one group, eight days, and by Saturday week someone lifts the Sultan of Johor Cup.

The field is small and awkward. Hosts Malaysia, Pakistan, Canada, China and Japan all play through the group stage, then it’s straight to the 3rd-place match and the final on Saturday 24 October. No semi-finals to hide behind. Drop points early and you’re chasing for a week.

China first, and they’re nobody’s soft start

China’s junior programme has been building quietly, and their seniors have climbed into the world’s top group over the last couple of years. They won’t roll over, and they won’t be overawed either.

For Pakistan, the maths is simple enough. Win the opener and the week opens up. Lose it, and Canada barely 24 hours later becomes a must-win before it’s even started. Canada play Japan in tomorrow’s other match, so by tomorrow night we’ll know exactly where everyone stands.

The 18 names on the team sheet

Captain Muhammad Ammad runs the midfield and, most days, runs the team. Ahsan Mahmood and Ihtesham Muhammad are the two goalkeepers. The back line is Muhammad Farooq, Asam Haider, Ali Ansar, Samiullah, Ali Hamza and Usman Ghani, with Shaheer, Saifullah, Hamza Fayyaz and Yahya Najeeb joining Ammad in the middle.

The goals, Pakistan hope, come from Rana Waleed, Rana Sami, Ghulam Mustafa, Adeel and Muhammad Usman.

Ayaz Mahmood manages the side, with Syed Hussain as head coach and Azfar Yaqoob his assistant.

Pakistan’s final registered squad at FIH TMS lists Muhammad Ammad as captain; an earlier announcement named Muhammad Imad — this page follows the official tournament registration.

The week, day by day

All times PKT:

• Saturday 17 October, 2:05 pm — Pakistan vs China
• Sunday 18 October, 2:05 pm — Pakistan vs Canada
• Wednesday 21 October, 4:35 pm — Pakistan vs Malaysia
• Friday 23 October, 2:05 pm — Pakistan vs Japan
• Saturday 24 October, 2:05 pm — 3rd-place match
• Saturday 24 October, 5:05 pm — Final

Why this group matters

Two weeks ago, on 3 October, Pakistan’s seniors won bronze at the Asian Games, beating South Korea 5–3 for the country’s first Asian Games hockey medal since 2014. The mood around the sport lifted overnight. These juniors are the next layer of that story, and it’s on them to prove there’s depth behind the headlines.

Most of this squad is also the core of the side building towards the 2027 Junior World Cup, where Pakistan’s men have already qualified. A strong week in Johor Bahru, against Asian rivals and a Canada team that never gives you anything cheap, and the revival starts to look real. A poor one, and the questions come back. That’s what tomorrow is really about.

One practical note: streaming details are still to be confirmed. The moment an official stream is announced, we’ll update this page.