IPOH – Sulman Razzaq, though bent, proved unbroken as he led Pakistan to a resounding 4-0 victory over South Korea in their second Sultan Azlan Shah Cup match today.
The 28-year-old forward, who was making his 19th appearance for his country, was struck in the knee by the match ball during Pakistan’s dramatic win against defending champions Malaysia last night.
Pakistan head coach Roelant Oltmans commended his star player’s commitment level to the team, citing that Sulman’s comeback encouraged his side to give their 100% in their match against a defensive Korean side.
“Sulman is a great player who is always eager to fight for his country under any circumstances, and players like him make our team better.
“He wanted to play, but I wanted to make sure that he was okay, so we did an X-ray to see how bad his injury was. Thank God he was fine, and that’s what made us play him in today’s match.
“He was exceptional in today’s game, doing all the dirty work for us and even receiving a green card for the team. His presence on the team motivated everyone to perform well, which makes me admire this group, as every one of them is committed to fighting for the team.
“Overall, it was a strong performance from my side today, and I’m pleased with how the team has gelled together with just a few days of training for this tournament,” said Oltmans during the post-match conference.
Pakistan, known as the Flying Green Horses by their fans, has made 15 appearances in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and won the tournament three times (1999, 2000, and 2003) since its inception in 1983.
The team arrived for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup on April 27 from Islamabad and had only three days to train for the tournament.
At the same time, South Korea’s head coach, Min Tae-seok, admitted that his side felt demotivated and was not quick enough to retaliate after conceding the first goal against their opponents.
“They were faster than us, and we could not cope with their speed on several occasions during the game. On top of that, we got demotivated after conceding, and we failed to fight back.
“Moreover, we also failed to earn any penalty corners in today’s match, and this is something that we need to take seriously in our upcoming matches in the tournament,” said Tae-seok.
Pakistan’s opener was scored by Hannan Shahid through a solo run from the backline, where he beat seven Korean players to give his side a 1-0 lead in the third minute of the match.
The remaining three goals for Pakistan were scored by Arshad Liaqat (20th minute), Ghazanfar Ali (27th minute), and Sufyan Khan (50th minute).
Pakistan will take on Japan in their third match on May 7, while South Korea will face defending champions Canada on the same day. – May 5, 2024