KARACHI, 9 June 2006 — Pakistani hockey officials are upbeat about their team’s chances of reaching the semifinals of this September’s World Cup even though the former champions have been bracketed with title favorites Australia and Spain, a side they have failed to beat in recent years, in a tough Pool A.
“We believe our team has been placed in the better of the two groups and are confident that it can qualify for the last four,” said Shahid Ali Khan, one of the national team’s coaches, while talking to Arab News here on Sunday.
Pakistan, record four-time World Cup champions, have been drawn against Olympic champions Australia, Spain, Argentina, New Zealand and Japan in Pool A of the 2006 World Cup to be played in the German city of Monchengladbach in September.
It is generally seen as a tough group since both Australia and Spain would be among the top contenders for the coveted crown, leaving little chance for an inconsistent team like Pakistan to go beyond the pool stage.
But Shahid, one of Pakistan’s most celebrated goalkeepers of all time, believes otherwise.
“We have beaten Australia in recent times and if our boys play to their potential they can also win against Spain. In contrast for Pakistan, teams like Holland and Germany have been tougher to beat in recent times.
Germany, especially, would be very tough customers since they would be playing on their home soil,” said Shahid, who would be at the helm of the national team’s goalkeepers’ preparations for the World Cup.
Hosts Germany, who are also the defending World Cup champions and Holland have been placed in Pool B with Korea, India, South Africa and England. Shahid pointed out that apart from Holland and Germany, even teams like Korea and England, on their day, can become very difficult to overcome when playing in an important event like the World Cup.
Shahid said that the national team coaches would begin making their plans for the World Cup soon following the formation of the two pools. He said that Pakistan would be targeting a place in the World Cup semifinals and will have to knock out either Australia or Spain in the process.
“Assuming that we would win against Argentina, New Zealand and Japan, I believe our team will have to do better than either Australia or Spain to be in the last four. I think it can do it.” Both Australia and Spain are placed ahead of Pakistan in the world rankings. The mighty Aussies have been enjoying an unbeaten run since winning their maiden Olympic title in Athens in the summer of 2004. They are ranked number one in the world while Pakistan are trailing at the fifth place in the list.
