The Bermuda Football Association and Vasco da Gama Club are pleased to announce an exhibition Football match between the Bermuda National Team and a Select from the Azores.
The match will take place on Saturday May 25th at the National Sports Center. The Azorean Select Team will be put together by the Ponta Delgada Football Association.
BFA President Mark Wade alongside the President of Vasco da Gama Club Paul Franco spoke about the exhibition match organized as part of the celebrations of the 170th anniversary of the first arrival of Portuguese immigrants to Bermuda.
A public holiday was announced for November 4th 2019, and there will be various events throughout the year in the lead up to it.
Franco said, “We are very excited about the prospects for this match. We want to thank the Government for announcing the holiday in November and for approaching Vasco to help with organizing and preparing and for the event. We then reached out to the BFA who were immediately supportive and enthusiastic about the opportunity, and we thank them also.
“The Portuguese Community is very passionate about football. We’re very much looking forward to supporting Bermuda in the Gold Cup in just a few months’ time.
“With Vasco now having a senior football team again, we also hope that we as a Club can help play out part in developing local football.”
Wade added, “We are delighted to be included in the celebration of the 170th anniversary of the first arrival of Portuguese immigrants to Bermuda. Vasco da Gama have hit the ground running. Re-entering the BFA Leagues and facilitating a great opportunity for our Senior Men to continue their preparation for the Gold Cup.”
Bermuda Men’s National Coach Kyle Lightbourne who departed Bermuda this morning alongside Bermuda Gold Cup Head of Delegation Anthony Francis and BFA Media Relation Officer Antione Augustus to attend the Gold Cup Draw said, “This is a great opportunity for us to have a match right after such a successful occasion, particularly against an Azores Select coming to Bermuda. Our Under 20’s played against an Azores select just over a year ago and it was and interesting game so it definitely gives us something to look forward to.”
