KUALA LUMPUR – National men’s hockey head coach Sarjit Singh didn’t hold back after Malaysia’s dramatic 4-3 defeat to New Zealand at the Nations Cup last night, pointing to senior midfielder Fitri Saari’s indiscipline as the turning point of the match.
Malaysia, who drew 3-3 with Pakistan in their opening fixture on Sunday, looked to be cruising after goals from Akhimullah Anuar Esook (18th minute), Fitri Saari (38th), and Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal (39th) gave them a commanding 3-0 lead.
But their defence, led by captain Marhan Jalil, fell apart after the 44th minute.
Poor decision-making and a double blow of yellow cards proved costly, as the hosts conceded four goals in just eight minutes.
Fitri was shown a yellow card and sent to the sin bin in the 44th minute. The Black Sticks swiftly capitalised, with Finn Ward (44th), Simon Yorston (45th), and Sean Findlay (46th) scoring in rapid succession.
Things went from bad to worse when Muhajir Abdu Rauf was also carded in the 52nd minute, and Ward struck again shortly after to complete New Zealand’s comeback.
The defeat leaves Malaysia with just one point from two group matches.
They now face a must-win encounter against Japan on Wednesday to keep their semi-final hopes alive.
New Zealand, with back-to-back victories, have booked their spot in the last four. Pakistan, on four points, need only a draw against the Kiwis to join them in the semi-finals.
Speaking to reporters after the match in Bukit Jalil, Sarjit said Fitri, as a senior player, should have known better than to lose control in key moments.
“That one mistake from Fitri cost us the entire game. He gave the ball away in midfield, which led to a goal, and getting carded at a critical time is simply unacceptable.
“He’s an experienced player, and I hope he changes the way he plays. Even in the opening match against Pakistan, he received a yellow card for stopping the ball with his foot. We need him in these important moments. Playing a man down at any point makes things very difficult.
“Most of the boys played well, but hockey is unpredictable – anything can happen in an instant. I’m disappointed and frustrated because we handed New Zealand an easy win. We had three points in the bag, and we threw them away.
“Now, we must hope New Zealand beat Pakistan to keep us in contention. But even then, we must defeat Japan by a big margin. Our chances of reaching the next round are very slim,” said Sarjit.
However, national midfielder Faiz Helmi Jali defended his teammate, saying the defeat shouldn’t fall solely on Fitri’s shoulders.
“It’s not fair to blame Fitri entirely. We lost as a team, and everyone contributed to the result.
“Our focus now is to finish the group stage on a high with a win against Japan,” said Faiz.
New Zealand head coach Greg Nicol admitted his side were fortunate to snatch victory against a resilient Malaysian outfit.
“I’m really proud of our second-half performance. I never expected us to score four goals in eight minutes. We took advantage of their weaknesses and made full use of our powerplay tactic, which we’re known for.
“Of course, we want to end the group stage with another win against Pakistan and make it nine points, but it won’t be easy. We’ll give it our best,” said Greg.
The defeat marked Malaysia’s 15th loss to New Zealand since the 1975 World Cup in Kuala Lumpur. — June 17, 2025