Bermuda secured a commanding 5-0 victory over the Cayman Islands at the Flora Duffy South Field Stadium inside the National Sports Center, igniting their FIFA World Cup Qualifying campaign with a much-needed three points.
Going into the match, Bermuda sat fourth in Group A with one point from two matches, while the Cayman Islands were in second place with three points from their single game. The hosts knew a strong performance was crucial, and they delivered emphatically.
Bermuda Starting Line-Up: - Dale Eve, Reese Jones Jr., Ne-Jai Tucker, Julian Carpenter, Kole Hall (Enrique Russell 72nd), Zeiko Lewis (Rahzir Jones 66th), Djair Parfitt (Sachiel Ming 67th), Keziah Martin (Reggie Lambe 73rd), Willie Clemons, Harry Twite, Deniche Hill (J’Nai Butterfield Steede 60th) - Substitutes: - Eusebio Blankendale, Roger Lee,, Aunde Todd, Detre Bell, Kieron Richardson, Jorj Dublin, Coleridge Fubler - Cayman Islands Starting Line-Up: - Lachlin Lambert, Jah Dain Alexander, Cameron Gray, Jabari Campbell, D'Andre Rowe, Jordan Bonilla, Mason Duval (Tyler Beckford 83rd), Sebastian Martinez (Matthew Suberan 73rd), Zachary Scott (Dimitri Douglas 83rd), Elijah Seymour (Joshwa Campbell 73rd), Christopher Reeves - Substitutes: - Deshawn Whittaker, Wesley Robinson, Kareem Foster, Jacobbi Tugman
The breakthrough for Bermuda came in the 12th minute when forward Zeiko Lewis calmly converted from the penalty spot, sending the home crowd into raptures. The solitary goal gave Bermuda a 1-0 lead to take into the half-time interval.
The second half saw Bermuda assert their dominance with a flurry of goals. In the 54th minute, Djair Parfitt doubled the lead, finding the back of the net to give the home side a comfortable cushion. Just ten minutes later, Kole Hall added his name to the scoresheet, making it 3-0 and effectively taking control of the match.
Substitute Reggie Lambe, introduced to the game, quickly made an impact, scoring Bermuda's fourth goal in the 79th minute. The rout was completed by Julian Carpenter, who added Bermuda’s fifth goal of the night, securing a comprehensive 5-0 victory.
This significant win will provide a huge boost to Bermuda's hopes in Group A, as they look to build on this momentum in their upcoming World Cup Qualifiers.
