Hockey World Cup 2023: India defeated South Africa 5-2 in a classification game on Saturday and tied for ninth place in the FIH Men’s World Cup. India scored twice in the first and fourth quarters. India, rated sixth in the world, won six penalty corners throughout the game and converted one of them, while South Africa, ranked fourteenth, only managed to get three PCs. In comparison to South Africa’s 22, India recorded a total of 31 circle penetrations.
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Domination by India
The host team enjoyed almost 60% of the ball possession and had 14 shots compared to South Africa’s nine. Abhishek, who was awarded player of the game, scored India’s first goal in the fifth minute, followed by captain Harmanpreet Singh’s drag flick goal in the 12th. Both teams failed to score in the second quarter, despite India’s continued offensive efforts and many circle penetrations.
India, who held a 2-0 lead at the break, had 15 circle penetration compared to South Africa’s eight. Amit Rohidas received a yellow card in the third quarter, forcing India to play five minutes with one fewer player. However, India’s Shamsher Singh scored a goal in the last seconds of the third quarter once Rohidas returned (45th). In the second half, the South Africans performed better because they made more circle penetrations than in the opening thirty minutes.
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India ties with Argentina for ninth place
India defeated South Africa 5-2 in their classification match for the 9-12th slot at the current FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in Rourkela on Saturday. Goal scorers were skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Akashdeep, and Shamsher Singh. With this victory, India equalled Argentina for ninth place overall in the competition.
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