Malaysian Tigress Rout Taiwan 5-0 to Keep Asian Games Semi-Final Hopes Alive

Malaysia's women's hockey team kept their Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games semi-final dream alive with a commanding 5-0 win over Taiwan in Group A on Friday, 25 September.

The Malaysian Tigress did most of their damage in a blistering first quarter, scoring four times in the space of six minutes to put the match beyond Taiwan's reach early on.

Four goals in six minutes

Khairunnisa Ayuni Mohd Sharuddin opened the scoring from a penalty corner in the ninth minute. Siti Nur Atika Shaikh Maznan added a second a minute later, and Nuramirah Shakira Zulkifli made it 3-0 in the 12th minute.

Siti Zulaikha Husain then converted a penalty corner in the 15th minute to give Malaysia a 4-0 lead before the end of the first quarter.

Siti Zulaikha completed the scoring with her second goal of the match in the 50th minute.

Goal sequence:

• 9' Khairunnisa Ayuni Mohd Sharuddin (penalty corner)
• 10' Siti Nur Atika Shaikh Maznan
• 12' Nuramirah Shakira Zulkifli
• 15' Siti Zulaikha Husain (penalty corner)
• 50' Siti Zulaikha Husain

Bouncing back from the China defeat

The win was an important response after the Tigress suffered a 4-0 defeat to world No. 4 China earlier in the group stage. Malaysia had opened their campaign strongly, beating Kazakhstan 5-0 and coming from behind to defeat Bangladesh 3-1.

Before the Taiwan match, team manager C.R. Kumar made it clear there was no room for error. "We need to win both matches to advance to the semi-finals," he told Utusan Malaysia, referring to the games against Taiwan and South Korea.

Showdown with South Korea

With the Taiwan hurdle cleared, Malaysia now head into their final group match against South Korea on Sunday. According to Utusan Malaysia, China top Group A with 12 points from four matches, while South Korea and Malaysia are both on nine points.

That sets up a straight shootout between Malaysia and South Korea for the remaining semi-final berth from the group, with Malaysia needing a win.

Reaching the semi-finals was the target set for the women's team before the Games, and they are now one victory away from achieving it.

What to watch

The Tigress' ability to convert penalty corners will be crucial against a well-organised South Korean side. Two of their five goals against Taiwan came from set pieces, and a similar efficiency could decide Sunday's contest.

Key takeaways

• Malaysia beat Taiwan 5-0 in Group A on 25 September.
• Four goals came in the first quarter; Siti Zulaikha Husain scored twice.
• Malaysia and South Korea are level on nine points behind leaders China.
• Malaysia must beat South Korea on Sunday to reach the semi-finals.

FAQ

Who scored for Malaysia against Taiwan? Khairunnisa Ayuni Mohd Sharuddin, Siti Nur Atika Shaikh Maznan, Nuramirah Shakira Zulkifli and Siti Zulaikha Husain (two goals).

What do the Malaysian Tigress need to reach the semi-finals? According to team manager C.R. Kumar, Malaysia needed to win both of their final two matches. Having beaten Taiwan, they now need to beat South Korea on Sunday.

What were Malaysia's earlier results in Group A? They beat Kazakhstan 5-0 and Bangladesh 3-1, then lost 4-0 to China.

Sources: Utusan Malaysia, Bernama