KUALA LUMPUR: Captain Joaquín Munoz says his Chilean team have the pedigree to trouble Malaysia when they face off in the opening Junior World Cup (JWC) Group A match at the National Hockey Stadium here on Dec 5.
It could spell trouble for the World No. 8 Malaysia, who hope to beat the 20th-ranked Chile to set the tone for tougher matches in the group.
Munoz claimed that his teammates are mentally and physically ready to take on Malaysia.
"We are ranked way below Malaysia, but we are not scared. We have been preparing for this opening encounter for months and a win will help us gain confidence when we play the next game," said Munoz.
Favourites Argentina and Australia are the other teams in Group A.
"We are mentally and physically ready to cause a big upset when we face Malaysia," said the 20-year-old Munoz, who has four caps.
While he didn't play in the 2021 edition in Bhubaneswar, Munoz has studied videos of Malaysia's 2-1 win over Chile.
The Chilean team has retained four players from their 2021 squad, including goalkeeper Julian Villanueva.
"I did not play in Bhubaneswar, but many of my friends in this team saw action against Malaysia in 2021. They will be expected to lead the rest," he added.
With eight 16-year-olds and two 15-year-olds, Chile believes they make an impression in the JWC.