FRANCE have confirmed their place in the semi-finals of the FIH Men’s Nations Cup Malaysia 2024-2025 after securing their second consecutive win by edging South Africa 4-3 in a high-intensity Group A clash at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, here today.
Victor Charlet was the star of the show after scoring a hat-trick from penalty corners in the 1st, 35th and 44th minutes while Xavier Esmenjaud added the fourth goal in the 58th minute to seal the victory for the Europeans.
With two wins from two matches, France now top Group A with six points and will meet Wales in the last group match on Wednesday (June 18).
According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each group advance to the semi-finals while the bottom two will contest the classification matches for 5th to 8th place.
Victor said the team’s performance was the priority.
“We’ve managed to secure six points from our first two games, and we’re happy to have achieved our target of qualifying for the semi-finals. The final group match will be tough as well, but we’ll go into it with the same mindset and approach as the previous two.
“My inspiration is Nikola Karabatic, the handball player. My goal is to have a long and successful career like his. I admire his physicality and discipline, which motivates me to push myself further and succeed in hockey as he has in his sport,” he told reporters.
South Africa actually gave a spirited fight with Jaydon Brooker scoring twice (2nd, 59th minutes) and Marvin Simons also finding the net in the 59th but they fell just short befor the final whistle.
Meanwhile, in another Group A encounter, South Korea beat Wales 3-2 while Pakistan also beat Japan 3-2 in Group B match.
