KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian coach Amin Rahim has warned his team not to underestimate underdog Chile in their opening Junior World Cup (JWC) Group A match at the National Hockey Stadium on Dec 5.
Amin, who has selected 18 players for the mission, said his team must grab maximum points from the game.
The other teams in Group A are favourites Argentina and Australia. Only the top two teams will qualify for the quarter-finals.
"The mission is to win three points when we play our first match against Chile. It is crucial to start our Group A campaign on a good note.
"Australia and Argentina are the two strongest teams in our group, but that does not mean we will conserve energy for these matches and take Chile lightly.
"Yes, Chile may have eight 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds, and the coach must have selected them for their strengths although they are young.
"So taking our first match lightly will not help our cause," said Amin at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil yesterday.
Amin assured that all 18 selected players are injury-free and ready to give their best.
"Some players were carrying light injuries after the Sultan of Johor Cup (SoJC) but have recovered," he said.
The youngest player in the Malaysian team is 17-year-old Adam Ashraf Johari. Adam was tested at the Phnom Penh Sea Games, Junior Asia Cup in Oman and SoJC this year.
"I am from Kelantan, who resides near the Thai border. I was spotted when I was 12 years old during a Malaysian Schools Sports Council (MSSM) tournament.
"My age doesn't matter as I have played in many international tournaments," said Adam.
When asked if he speaks Thai, the lad said: "Unfortunately, I did not pick it up."
Amin explained that the player selection was based on evaluations during the SOJC and training sessions after the tournament.
"After the SOJC, we identified mistakes and weaknesses in the team and have made proper preparations to rectify them.
"I expect my players to display high fighting spirit and play hard to record a positive result in every game," Amin added.
THE SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Rafaizul Sani, Danish Afnan Faizal;
Defenders: Azmilmuizzuddin Misron, Ahmad Suhaimi Kamaruddin, Wan Najmie Ahmad, Andywalfian Jeffrynus, Faris Harizan (captain), Khairul Norizam;
Midfielders: Alfarico Lance Liau, Danish Aiman, Adam Ashraf, Danish Danial, Mughni Kamal;
Forwards: Shamir Rizmi Shamsul, Che Nur Aqilrullah, Harris Iskandar Osman, Shafiq Ikhmal Daniel, Shahmie Irfan Suhaimi.
