HAMILTON, Bermuda – Just three points against the Dominican Republic on Sunday separates Bermuda from a historical first-time qualification for the Concacaf Gold Cup, and needless to say the Gombey Warriors are clearly focused on the task at hand.
“It’s a very positive mindset heading into this final Concacaf Nations League qualifier,” said Bermuda MF Zeiko Lewis in an exclusive interview with Concacaf.com.
“We are all focused and ready for the job at hand. We know it is not going to be an easy task, but we are all mentally and physically prepared to go beyond our limits to achieve our goal of winning the match. Also, we have a great support system back home growing with every step we take in this tournament. The better we do the more support we are seeing from our fans back home. Some are even making the trip down to Dominican Republic to support us,” added Lewis.
With a win on Sunday, Bermuda, who is seventh-place in the 34-team table, can all but punch its ticket to this summer’s Gold Cup.
If it were to happen, it would be the fulfillment of a dream within Bermuda football and also give its footballers the chance to show their wares against the region’s giants.
“It would be a great accomplishment for Bermuda football. Coming from a small island of about 65,000 people this would be something that many Bermudians will be proud to be Bermudian as we say. Not only will it give us more exposure, for our players to be able to live out their dreams of playing against top level players, but also the potential of getting more of our players scouted into professional teams (young and old). It could also put our organization in a place to get us better opponents that we have not been playing in previous years so we can better ourselves,” said Lewis.
Yet Lewis also recognizes that none of this could have been accomplished without the vision of Concacaf. For the Charleston Battery man, the Concacaf Nations League initiative undertaken by Concacaf has been pivotal in the growth of Bermuda football in the last year.
“The Concacaf Nations League has made Bermuda a stronger and better team for many reasons. We get to see each other regularly. We have a better understanding of not only our game plan, but each other’s tendencies that we’ve picked up at our clubs. Playing with each other more often has seen the team grow to a level that many Bermudians have not seen from our players in a long time. It is inspiring the youth as well as adults to get behind the team and want to be a part of the team,” concluded Lewis.
