Coach A Arul Selvaraj’s charges were in total command of the match right from the start and deservedly took the lead in the seventh minute of the first quarter through a penalty corner strike by Razie Rahim.

Malaysia were awarded another penalty corner just a minute into the second quarter and Razie again stepped up to make it 2-0.

Jolted by the second goal, Japan managed to reduce the deficit through Kaito Tanaka in the 22nd minute but the Speedy Tigers regained their composure in the third quarter and it was not long before Nik Aiman Rozemi made it 3-1 in the 30th minute.

Japan fought back four minutes later to score their second of the night through Shota Yamada before Malaysia moved up a gear in the fourth quarter to make it 4-2 through a field goal by Syafiq Sumantri in the 45th minute.

Malaysia finished second in the group on 10 points to qualify for the final and will face South Korea who topped the group stage with 13 points.

Arul Selvaraj was delighted by his boys’ performance and the fighting spirit showed throughout the match.

“This is a new Malaysian team that has discipline and character. Though we were leading they never slowed down the pace but rather kept the momentum and fought until the final whistle,” he said.

Malaysia have not won the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup since its inception in 1983 but have emerged as runners-up five times.

Malaysia finished third in 2019 after beating Canada 4-2 while South Korea edged India to win the title.