Asian Champions Trophy semi-final: Speedy Tigers face Japan at 7pm Malaysia time for a place in the final

Malaysia play Japan in the Asian Champions Trophy semi-finals in Mohali, India, at 7pm Malaysia time tonight (Wednesday, 4 November). The winner goes through to Thursday's final. India and South Korea play the second semi-final at 9.30pm Malaysia time at the same stadium.

Kick-off times and venue

Both semi-finals are at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. The North News reports that these are the first international hockey matches ever played at the ground. Japan v Malaysia starts at 4.30pm local time and India v South Korea at 7pm. India Standard Time is two and a half hours behind Malaysia, so those games start at 7pm and 9.30pm MYT. China and Bangladesh play for fifth place earlier in the day, at 2pm local time (4.30pm MYT).

The final is on Thursday, 5 November, at the same venue, and the two losing semi-finalists play for bronze. The tournament began on 27 October at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar. This is the first time Punjab has hosted it.

How the Speedy Tigers got here

Malaysia finished third in the round-robin table with nine points from five matches, according to The Star. Their three wins included a 3-1 win over South Korea and a 6-1 win over Bangladesh, Bernama reported. They then lost 4-2 to India.

Japan finished second with 10 points. They beat Malaysia 2-1 in Monday's final round-robin match, after Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal had given Malaysia a 10th-minute lead.

Finishing is the concern for Carolan

After that defeat, head coach Brendon Carolan said his team should have extended their lead while they were 1-0 up. Missed chances, including a penalty corner, let Japan back into the game, Lumi News reported. Malaysia had enough of the play on Monday. Tonight they need to turn more of it into goals.

Azrai is Malaysia's leading scorer with five goals. He is second in the tournament scoring chart behind India captain Harmanpreet Singh, who has nine.

India the team to beat

India topped the round-robin with five wins from five and were the highest-scoring team, with 34 goals. They beat South Korea 8-0 in the group stage and meet them again tonight. The North News reports that India have won the Asian Champions Trophy five times, once as joint winners, and have finished runners-up once. South Korea have won the tournament once. Japan have reached two finals and Malaysia one.

The Malaysia-Japan semi-final had not started when this article was published, and a result report will follow after the final whistle.

Key takeaways

• Japan v Malaysia, Asian Champions Trophy semi-final: Wednesday, 4 November, 7pm MYT in Mohali.
• India v South Korea is the second semi-final at 9.30pm MYT. The final and the bronze-medal match are on Thursday, 5 November.
• Malaysia finished third in the round-robin with nine points. Japan were second with 10.
• Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal leads Malaysia's scoring with five goals.

FAQ

What time is Malaysia v Japan in the Asian Champions Trophy semi-final? It starts at 7pm Malaysia time on Wednesday, 4 November, which is 4.30pm in India. The match is in Mohali.

When is the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 final? The final is on Thursday, 5 November, at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. The two losing semi-finalists play for bronze.

Who is Malaysia's top scorer at the tournament? Azrai Aizad Abu Kamal has five goals. Only India's Harmanpreet Singh, with nine, has scored more.

Sources: The North News, The Star, Bernama, Lumi News