Friday at the Asian Champions Trophy: Bangladesh Get Another Crack at Malaysia, Korea and China Fight for Survival, Japan Test India
Thursday hasn’t been played yet, and already Friday looks like the day that decides the Asian Champions Trophy’s semi-final race. Three games in Jalandhar, and the last one is the biggest of the tournament so far.
Bangladesh against Malaysia opens it at 2:00pm PKT. On the opening day these two teams had wildly different experiences. Malaysia won a nine-goal thriller against China, 5-4, with Azrai scoring twice and goals from Anuar, Faizal Saari and Kamaruddin. Bangladesh lost 13-0 to India. So the question for Bangladesh is the same one Thursday’s game against Japan will have asked them: can they stay in a match against a side that scores for fun? Malaysia, meanwhile, will want this done early. Two wins from two, with India still to come on Sunday, is exactly the platform they came for. Anything less, and the group gets messy.
Then South Korea against China at 4:15pm PKT, and this one has last-chance written all over it. Both lost on the opening day: Korea 3-2 to Japan, China 5-4 to Malaysia. Both scored, both conceded too many, and both play again on Thursday before this. By Friday, one of these two could easily be staring at three defeats and an early exit from semi-final contention in a six-team league where only two teams miss out. China scored four against Malaysia, two of them Chen Benhai penalty corners, so they can hurt anyone. Korea scored twice from corners against Japan. Expect goals, and expect the loser to be in real trouble.
And then the night game, Japan against India at 6:30pm PKT. This is the one. Japan beat Korea 3-2 on Day 1, with goals from Fukuda, Ooka and Matsumoto, and they’ve had a habit of pushing India hard in recent meetings. India, top of the table after the 13-0, will be expected to win, and the crowd will expect goals. But Japan are organised, quick, and they won’t be overawed by the occasion or the noise. If India win, they take a huge step towards finishing top of the pool. If Japan get something, the whole race for first place opens right up.
Three games, and by Friday night we’ll know who’s genuinely in control of this tournament. Saturday is a rest day. Friday is where it gets decided.
Related links:
https://sportscursor.com/india-v-china-asian-champions-trophy-thursday-29-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/asian-champions-trophy-2026-day-1-malaysia-china-japan-korea-india-bangladesh-27-october-2026/
https://sportscursor.com/india-13-0-bangladesh-mandeep-hat-trick-asian-champions-trophy-27-october-2026/
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