Nations cup sf

North Harbour National Hockey Centre: India defeated Japan 2-1 in their second Pool A match of the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup New Zealand 2026 on Tuesday at the North Harbour National Hockey Centre in Auckland to secure a spot in the semi-finals, having won both their pool games so far.

Captain and 'Player of the Match' Salima Tete (33') and Lalremsiami (49') netted the goals for India, while Hiramitsu Ai (35') was the lone goalscorer for Japan. It was a memorable game for midfielder Jyoti, who marked her 100th senior international appearance.

The first half was extremely tight, with both sides creating chances but none could break the deadlock till half-time.