KUALA LUMPUR – The scorching 36°C heat at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil took its toll on both France and South Korea in the opening match of the FIH Nations Cup.
Ninth-ranked France were forced to dig deep and play catch-up hockey to narrowly defeat 14th-ranked South Korea 6-5 today.
Speaking to reporters after the match, French head coach John-John Dohmen admitted his team is still acclimatising to the Malaysian weather conditions.
According to the Meteorological Department, Malaysia can expect hot and humid days with temperatures peaking at 35°C, and warm nights between 24°C and 26°C.
Frequent cloud cover and occasional thunderstorms, especially in the early mornings or afternoons, are typical during the ongoing southwest monsoon season, which runs from May to September and generally brings drier conditions.
“We arrived four days ago, and we’re not fully prepared for the Malaysian heat,” Dohmen said after the match. “It’s hot here, but we are adapting and getting better.”
“It was a crazy first game for me. I was really disappointed with the first half, but the later quarters were better. I had to change our tactics to make sure we came away with the win.
“I’m proud of the players – they showed great character and commitment. Mentally, they were stronger. At half-time, after conceding so many goals, I told them they needed to switch their mentality and toughen up.
“We knew it would be a tough match from our earlier analysis, but we didn’t expect so many goals on both ends. This is my first official tournament after three months coaching this team. For our next match, we’ll need to analyse our opponents in more detail.”
South Korea head coach Min Tae-seok said the intense heat also played a role in his team’s second-half collapse.
“Our players showed character in the first half, but I think the heat affected their concentration and stamina. A few of our key players also picked up injuries and had to be substituted mid-match,” he said.
“But I’m not disappointed with my boys. This is a young team with an average age of 26, and we’re preparing for next year’s Asian Games. We’ll make sure to analyse our next opponent and come back stronger.”
In the Group A encounter, France took the lead in the eighth minute through Xavier Esmenjaud, who latched onto a fine pass from Victor Charlet.
South Korea responded just three minutes later with a field goal from Lee Jung-jun. Their scoring momentum continued in the second quarter with penalty corner goals from Yang Ji-hun and Lim Doh-yun, putting them 3-1 ahead.
Park Cheoleon made it 4-1 with a field goal before Ji-hun scored his second of the match to extend Korea’s lead to 5-1 in the third quarter.
However, the fourth quarter saw a different French side emerge. Xavier scored his second of the game, followed by a penalty corner goal from Victor to reduce the deficit to 5-3. Xavier then completed his hat-trick in the 58th minute, making it 5-4.
The French displayed grit and determination in the dying minutes. Victor netted the equaliser in the 59th minute, and Louis Haertelmeyer sealed the dramatic comeback with a penalty stroke in the 60th minute, securing a thrilling 6-5 win for France.
A total of 124 spectators were in attendance for today’s match.
France will next face South Africa, while South Korea take on Wales tomorrow in the second round of Group B fixtures at the same venue. — June 15, 2025
The post FIH Nations Cup: France survive brutal Malaysian heat to stun Korea in 6–5 comeback thriller appeared first on Scoop.
