The first match of the best-of-three play-off series between hosts Bangladesh and visiting Pakistan will be held at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium in Dhaka on Thursday.
The winner of the series will qualify for the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup Qualification Tournaments, scheduled to take place in 2026. Pakistan, ranked significantly higher, start as clear favourites to advance.
Traditionally, the Asia Cup has served as the qualifying event for the World Cup qualifiers, with the top six teams securing spots. Bangladesh finished sixth in the 2025 Asia Cup held in India, where Pakistan did not participate. However, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) later decided to grant Pakistan a chance to qualify after their promotion to the FIH Hockey Pro League. The play-off series was a late decision made by the FIH Executive Board.
According to the FIH website, Pakistan were unable to take part in the 2025 Asia Cup due to a “force majeure” situation. Taking into account their Pro League promotion, the federation approved this play-off against Bangladesh.
Currently ranked 29th in the world, Bangladesh face a daunting challenge against 14th-ranked Pakistan.
Acknowledging the significant gap between the two teams, Bangladesh head coach Siegfried Aikman admitted the task ahead is a major one.
“It’s a huge challenge for us because Pakistan are not only ahead in world ranking but also in experience,” said the Dutch coach at the pre-series press conference at the Bangladesh Hockey Federation hall room on Wednesday.
Aikman, however, remained cautiously optimistic about his team’s chances.
“The goal now is to reduce the gap,” he said. “We hope we can do something special. It’s a dream for the senior players to play in the World Cup, just like the juniors already did.”
Bangladesh captain Rezaul Karim Babu echoed the coach’s sentiments, saying his team has nothing to lose in the series.
“There will be a lot to learn from these matches if we give our best according to our ability,” Babu said.
The Bangladesh squad includes seven to eight players from the U-21 team, reflecting a mix of youth and experience.
Pakistan head coach Mohammad Usman praised Bangladesh’s progress, saying,
“I’ve seen Bangladesh play in the Asia Cup – they are a good team. I think every match will be competitive. Bangladesh is not an easy opponent at all.”
Pakistan captain Shakil Butt added,
“I’m very happy to be in Dhaka to play this series. It’s an important tournament for both teams as we aim to qualify.”
The second match of the series will be played on Friday, followed by the third and final game on Sunday. All three matches will take place at the Maulana Bhashani Hockey Stadium.
