Bermuda's national football team face Montserrat, the world's lowest ranked team, on February 18 at home, with the return leg scheduled for March 31.

And although national coach Kenny Thompson has warned against complacency, Bermuda will go into that tie as favourites to meet El Salvador in the second round.

Local football fans will be keeping a eye out in 2004 for a new generation of high class talent, with the careers of the Island's two leading lights over the past decade or more, Kyle Lightbourne and Shaun Goater, either concluded or reaching a crossroads.

Candidates who appear most likely to fill their ? admittedly large ? shoes include Dandy Town and Bermuda striker Khano Smith, who has enjoyed a prolific start to the new football season and John Barry Nusum, the former Wolves and Atlanta Silverbacks striker who scored Bermuda's only goal in two matches against the touring Bajan team recently.

In cricket, meanwhile, all eyes will be on the performances of cricket scholars Jekon Edness and Jacobi Robinson after they return from their intensive two month stint at the University of Port Elizabeth International Cricket Academy in South Africa.

They will be looking to play an integral part in Bermuda's Clay Smith-led attempt at World Cup qualification, which begins this summer when the Island plays host to the Americas Cup.

The creation of the Inter-Continental Cup, a tournament of three day matches between the United States, Canada and Bermuda will also pose new and exciting challenges to Bermudian cricketers reared on limited overs.

On a different note, 2004 will be Somerset Cup Match and Western Stars captain Albert Steede's last season of domestic cricket, after which the prolific local batsman intends to retire to devote his energies to his family and his work.

Bermuda's top sailors, meanwhile, will be looking to further cement their reputations near the pinnacle of world sailing.

Peter Bromby finished sixth in his class at the Olympic Sailing World Championships in September last year and has taken on world renowned coach Peter Holmberg to help whip himself and his crew into shape for Athens.

Paula Lewin, who finished a "disappointing" tenth at the World's in the Yngling class, has dropped Carola Cooper from her crew for the upcoming Games, and is widely tipped to inject some fresh blood into the boat with the expected appointment of Christine Patton.

And Laser skipper Zander Kirkland will need to finish in the top 40 at this year's world championships in order to make the Olympic grade.

With the help of Argentine coach Dino Weber during two training camps in France and Turkey, he says that he is "determined" to get there.

In the pool, backstroke specialist Kiera Aitken is already assured of a place at the Olympics thanks to a swim which surprised even herself at the Pan Am Games, as she completed the 100 metres in 1:04.98, a national record and almost two seconds within her Olympic qualifying time.

Ronald Cowen, however, still has work to do after under-performing in both the 200 metre and 100 metre freestyle at the Pan Ams.

He admitted afterwards he intends to use the memory of the disappointment as a "cattleprod" to spur him on to better times.

2004 will also see the birth of a brand new, world class squash tournament on the Island, with the Bermuda Open due to get underway in late March at the Bermuda High School Gym, on an all glass court.

The event will attract the very best players from all over the world and Bermuda's number one Nick Kyme, the current world number 114, is to be granted a wildcard into the first round.

The 22-year-old will be leaving the Island in mid-January for another succession of world tour tournaments in the United States, Canada and Sweden and is upbeat about the possibility of a place in the top 75 within the next few months.

Bermuda's number one cyclist, Kris Hedges, will spend 2004 based in Europe, having recently joined top French amateur team VC Pontivy, to take his racing "to the next level."

There remains a slim chance also that he will be granted a wildcard into the Olympics, with the verdict expected to be announced in April.

In golf, Michael Sims returned to the Tour de Las Americas last week vowing to "just get on with the job" and not let his frustrating first year as a professional "wear him down."

The highly rated Jarryd Dillas, meanwhile, who finished 17th at the Junior World Championships at Torrey Pines last year, will spend 2004 continuing his work with coach Mark Immelmann on a golfing scholarship at Columbus State University in Georgia.

On the track, Ashley Couper, Tamika Williams and Xavier James will all be seeking to prove their Olympic credentials, though as Couper herself admitted last week, it will be a "tough task" for them.

And road runners Jay Donawa and Kavin Smith will be resuming their rivalry on May 24, with Smith looking to retain the title for the tenth successive year.

Finally, keep an eye out for triathlete Tyler Butterfield, who finished an impressive eighth at the Triathlon World Championships in New Zealand at the start of December. He will be making a decision as to whether he will attempt to qualify for Athens early in the year.