Cape Town, South Africa: Ireland an France made winning starts to their campaigns in the FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2026 at Hartleyvale Stadium, while Malaysia emerged as a strong contender in Pool A with an emphatic victory on the opening day of the tournament.
Ireland, the highest-ranked team in the competition, secured a comfortable 3-0 win over the United States. Ben Johnson, celebrating his 50th international appearance, opened the scoring before Greg Williams doubled the lead from a penalty corner. Fergus Gibson added a third in the second half to seal a dominant performance and all three points for the Irish side.
France also began their campaign on a positive note, overcoming hosts South Africa 4-2 in an entertaining encounter. Despite trailing 2-1 at halftime, the French fought back through a hat-trick of set-piece goals from Victor Charlet. Corentin Sellier contributed the other goal and was named Player of the Match after a tireless display up front.
In Pool A, Malaysia produced an impressive attacking display to defeat Scotland 5-2. Mohammad Azrai starred with a hat-trick, while Mohamad Anuar Esook and Aiman Rozemi also found the net. Scotland managed to score twice but failed to capitalize on several penalty-corner opportunities as Malaysia’s clinical finishing proved decisive.
Meanwhile, Korea and Japan shared the points in a thrilling 1-1 draw. Korea took the lead through Dohyun Lim’s drag-flick in the second quarter, but Japan responded strongly after the break, with Tsubasa Tanaka equalizing in the 37th minute. Both teams created chances to win the match, but goalkeepers at either end ensured the contest ended level.
Results – FIH Hockey Nations Cup 2026 (11 June, Cape Town):
Malaysia 5-2 Scotland (Pool A)
Korea 1-1 Japan (Pool A)
Ireland 3-0 USA (Pool B)
France 4-2 South Africa (Pool B)
The opening day produced exciting hockey and set the stage for a highly competitive tournament, with Ireland, France, and Malaysia all making strong statements of intent.
