The Tribune

By BRENT STUBBS

Senior Sports Reporter

bstubbs@tribunemedia.net

ALTHOUGH the coronavirus pandemic has slowed down their preparation, head coach Nesly Jean is still confident that the Bahamas Football Association will field a solid team for the FIFA World Cup Qualifier.

The Bahamas is slated to host the first game of the four-match series in their pool on March 27 against St Kitts, but it’s uncertain where it will be played because of the restrictions here in the Bahamas due to the pandemic.

Following that game, the team is scheduled to travel to Guyana to play Guyana in their home game on March 30.

In June, the team is set to play against Puerto Rico and Trinidad & Tobago. Under normal circumstances, two teams would advance, but because of the pandemic, only one team will move on.

“At the moment, we have started training and we’re just taking it one day at a time, trying to see how we can get the guys in shape for these games coming up,” Jean said.

There are at 35-40 players in the pool for the team selection, but because of the travel restrictions coming from Europe and some players still trying to get released from their respective colleges, Jean said they’re doing all they can to get the best team possible assembled.

“It’s a little difficult, but we are still in negotiations with some of the schools, trying to get our players released,” Jean said. “The conversation we are having is pretty positive, so it looks like we will get 90 percent of our players back, so we should have a solid team.”

Jean said the good thing is that those players who are away are either playing in leagued competition or for their schools, so they are in good competitive form,” he said. “The local players just started a few months back because of the restrictions here, so it’s put them back.

“But we are putting the pressure on them to ensure that they are just as fit as the players who are overseas. Hopefully we can get everybody together so that we can work together as a cohesive unit before the games are played next month.”

Once the team is in place by the first of March, Jean said the expectations is for the team to go on and win the games.

Canadian Marc Bircham, the new technical director for the BFA, is in town and have been with Jean in trying to get the team prepared for the matches.

Bircham said since the Christmas break, they have been trying to get in a training regime for the players and they have been monitoring their progress because they want to ensure that all of them are on the same page.

“We’re looking at being at an advantage instead of a disadvantage because a lot of the countries won’t have access to their professional players,” he said.

“So the teams in our pool should be on the same level because they haven’t had any opportunities to play any games, so it should be n even plying field. I think it will be more competitive games.”

With the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, Bircham said they are eager to see how the games will unfold when they play.

“We hope that we can get in a scrimmage or exhibition game before we play, but we know that the other countries are in thed same boat as us,” he insisted.

While here, Bircham said he hope to improve the level of football in the country and fresh new standards of play for men and women as well as the youth leagues for boys and girls.

“We want to tap into thed grassroots in the schools andc so we have a plan to encourage more players to come out and get involved in thed sport,” he proclaimed.

With the addition of fellow Canadian Carmelina Moscato as the new director of women’s football in the country, Bircham said they intent to swamp the inner-city to include more players at the senior level as well.

Back to the national team, Bircham said the federation is also working on preparing the men to participate in the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Qualifier in April, but again no venue has been confirmed.

The World Cup is scheduled to take place in Russia in August.

“We have some very good players, at least 8-10, who can play in both events, but it’s certain whether or not thy will get selected for the two,” said Bircham in reference to the beach and soccer national teams.

“It’s good because the beach soccer is the same culture and philosophy that we are trying to create for the grass soccer. So we feel confident that everything will work out well for both teams.”

Luiz Escobar from Brazil will be the head coach for the beach soccer national team.