Bangladesh's Under-20 men's hockey team suffered defeat in their final group stage match at the Junior Asia Cup, losing 3-0 to Pakistan in Chochi, China on Wednesday, leaving their World Cup qualification hopes resting entirely on a fifth to eighth place classification match against Japan.

Bangladesh struggled from the outset, undone by two early field goals from Rana Walid inside the opening quarter that put them firmly on the back foot.

Though their play improved through the middle two quarters, Bangladesh could not find a way to breach Pakistan's defence, while the opposition themselves failed to extend the lead further during that period.

Pakistan eventually sealed the result with a well worked counter attack late in the fourth quarter, as Ghulam Mustafa brought down a high ball from a teammate before driving it home with a powerful strike to make it 3-0.

The top six sides at the tournament earn qualification for the World Cup, a milestone Bangladesh reached for the first time in the previous edition after finishing inside that bracket.

Should they lose to Japan, however, that route disappears entirely, leaving them to instead contest the seventh and eighth place playoff.

Bangladesh's campaign began poorly, with back to back opening defeats leaving the young side under significant pressure early in the tournament.

They lost 3-2 to hosts China in their first match before falling 4-2 to Malaysia in their second outing, results that left little margin for further slip ups.

Bangladesh responded on Tuesday with a much needed 4-2 win over Kazakhstan, a result that kept their World Cup ambitions alive heading into the final group match and offered a brief boost after the difficult start to the competition.

That momentum proved short lived, however, as Pakistan's 3-0 victory on Wednesday afternoon confirmed Bangladesh's place fourth in the group standings, setting up the decisive clash with Japan that will now determine whether the team returns to the World Cup for a second consecutive time.