The Tribune

THE University of The Bahamas will have four players on the Bahamas national soccer team for upcoming CONCACAF Nations Leagues matches against Puerto Rico and Guyana.  

Striker Wood Julmis, midfielders Nathan Wells and Junior Kelly, along with goalkeeper Antonio Beckford, have been named to the national team for the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) Nations League two-match series.  

UB men’s soccer head coach Alex Thompson said the four players being called up to represent the country speaks volumes about the programme at the University of The Bahamas and the work each player has put in to improving their game.   

Wells is representing The Bahamas for the first time and is expected to make his presence known. Thompson said Wells is hoping to make his first international start during this series.  “He has come a long way from being a prodigious young player three to four years ago to one of the top midfielders in the country.” 

Wells said he’s excited to be representing The Bahamas. “This is all my work coming to fruition and it gives me incentive to keep going,” he said. “It is a really big thing to represent the country.” 

Julmis’ scoring prowess is well known but he’s been hampered by a recent injury. “I think he can overcome that injury and should be a focal point for the team,” Thompson said.  

Thompson said he’s incredibly impressed with Kelly’s improvement. “Kelly has worked harder than almost anyone in the squad this year and has completely transformed his body,” he said. “As he continues to mature, I believe he can be a national starter.” 

As for Beckford, who only recently started playing soccer, Thompson pointed out his work ethic and desire to be the best player he can be. “One year ago, he had played a year of high school soccer,” he said. “And now after missing maybe 0.5% of training sessions and being an absolute sponge, he is making a national team. That’s both crazy and amazing at the same time.” 

Beckford agrees. “For me it’s just amazing to be able to be out there and practicing and learning everything from the other players,” he said. “There are a lot of veteran goalkeepers and goalkeeper coaches out there who are helping me a lot.” 

The Bahamas plays Puerto Rico at 6pm Saturday at The Thomas A. Robinson National Stadium and then takes on Guyana at 6pm on Wednesday, September 12 in Lenora, Guyana.