The Bermuda Football Association announced that the U17 National Team will be participating in the Bahamas for the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Pre-Qualifying World Cup tournament.
BFA Youth Director Devarr Boyles said, Bermuda will play a home and an away match in Bahamas with the winners advancing to the next stage of the tournament to take place in Trinidad.
Boyles, along with his coaching staff, they have been hard at work over the summer period preparing for the upcoming tournament. The chosen players for this years squad represent the National Academy Program.
Defender Mauriq Hill is expecting the Bahamas team to be much like any other competition that they have faced, “I feel the opposition that we have faced in previous matches has been physically stronger than we have been, but I am confident that we can overcome that.”
Quintonio Lema said, “We have improved from the time we started out to where we are today, we don’t know much about the opposition however I do believe we can get the result needed to advance to the next round.”
Overseas student Jair Minors who played recently for the Bermuda Hogges while they were on the road said, “I am hoping to help the team with the experience that I have, I know when you play at the next level your thought process has to quicker and the decision making has to be good, so I am just looking to help the team adbvance.”
The selected (20) players who will represent the team during this tournament are as follows:
Dale Eve William White Dakai Grant Mauriq Hill Zeon Robinson Jevon Swan Zeiko Lewis Dimitri Frias Jonte Smith Chikosi Basden Shakeem Albouy Shachkeil Burrows Jair Minors Quintonio Lema Tre Ming Kamua Leverock Donte Brangman Ryan Hassell Demetre Daniels Shahkai Trott Craig Brown - Physio Gary Darrell - Coach Devarr Boyles - Coach Shequita Parsons – Head Of Delegations Standby: Jaquan Smith DeShields Standby: Mikal Simmons
The U17 team will play two games against host country Bahamas Friday, July 23rd, 6pm Bahamian time and Sunday, July 25th, 4pm Bahamian time. This will be considered a home and away two leg series for this round. The two games will be played at “The Roscow A.L. Davies Soccer Field, BFA National Centre for Football Development.”
The winner from this stage will go on and compete in the next round of the competition in August of 2010.
