BERMUDA…

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica (CMC) – National coach Kyle Lightbourne believes Bermuda can reach the quarter-finals as they prepare to make their debut in the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Haiti at the weekend.

But 50-year-old Lightbourne, currently enjoying his second stint at the helm after he led the team from 2005 to 2007, admits a positive result against Haiti is key if Bermuda is to achieve their goal of advancing to the quarter-finals.

Bermuda, who arrived here on Monday ahead of their opening game against Haiti today, must finish in the top two in Group B, which also includes Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

Although Lightbourne’s side finished a lofty fifth in the CONCACAF Nations League qualifiers, ahead of Nicaragua, whom they play in their final group game, Bermuda are the lowest ranked of the four teams.

Haiti finished top of the standings while Costa Rica qualified automatically as participants in the final round of the World Cup qualifiers in 2018.

“The boys are confident and we feel like we can match most teams,” Lightbourne told Bermuda’s Royal Gazette newspaper.

“We want to try our best to get through to the next stage. We definitely want to make it hard for teams to play against us. We saw a lot of the things we’ve been working on in training against Guyana – on the ball in the first half and defensively in the second. It’s on the day that we need to get it right.”

Bermuda beat Guyana, who are also making their Gold Cup debut, 1-0 at home in a friendly last week.

Bermuda showed they are made of sterner stuff these days, fighting back from a goal down in their must-win match away to the Dominican Republic in their final Nations League qualifier, and Lightbourne believes it will be a huge mistake if Haiti take his side lightly.

“Since the Nations League started we’ve really grown into a good unit,” he added. “We showed we can come from behind against the Dominican Republic, but now we’re going to be tested at a different level.”

Bermuda have qualified in League A of the Nations League and have home and away ties in Group B against Mexico and Panama in the autumn.

“We want to be able to stay at this level,” Lightbourne said. “However, we’re going to have to learn and learn quickly, if we are to build off this. There are opportunities for us to grow as a foot-balling nation.”

The Gold Cup has been extended from 12 teams to 16 teams, split into four groups. The final is scheduled to be played on July 7 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

Caption:

Kyle Lightbourne believes his side can be among the last eight teams in the Gold Cup.