An international friendly could be arranged for as early as next month with the Bermuda Football Association stressing the search for a technical director will not interfere with World Cup qualifying preparations.

Despite the preliminary draw for the 2010 World Cup looming ever closer, the BFA is yet to arrange any warm-up fixtures to prepare the team for football's most celebrated competition.

Interim coach Kenny Thompson has already voiced his frustration at the lack of friendly dates booked in the diary, fearing the ongoing search for a technical director, officially advertised last week, may be taking precedence in the BFA's corridors of power.

But Mark Trott, chairman of the BFA technical committee, yesterday emphasised "football would not stop" while association chiefs sifted through applicants' CVs, with plans for the qualifiers, early next year, awaiting the green light by the executive committee.

The fixed friendly dates in FIFA's international match calendar are November 17-21, and February 6 with Trott envisaging at least one match during next month's window. The BFA would also be able to set-up fixtures outside FIFA's calendar if so required.

"It's a possibility we could arrange two matches between November 17 and 21. Depending on countries available we could have a double header, home and away.

"The World Cup is such a major event and preparations are vital. We enjoyed an excellent qualifying campaign in 1992 under coach Gary Darrell, now part of the technical committee, and he, more than anyone, knows the significance of preparation and the importance of friendly internationals.

"Hopefully the technical director will be on board so we can move forward together. But if he is not, we must forge ahead with our World Cup plans. Football must not stop just because the technical director has not been appointed."

Trott said a meeting to discuss their plan of action with the executive committee would commence when BFA delegates returned from the FIFA Women's Football Symposium in China, where they have been on duty over the last few weeks.

"We have submitted our technical plan to the executive committee and it needs approval," he added. "A lot depends on the appointment of the technical director. He could decide Bermuda requires more friendly fixtures than allocated in FIFA's calendar.

"Ideally he would be involved in our preparations and be able to view a few warm-up matches to gauge the performance of the team and coaching staff. The good thing is friendly dates have already been set aside as part of FIFA's calendar."

Last week Kenny Thompson called for warm-up games against Caribbean nations such as Cuba, Trinidad and Jamaica. In the run-up to the first World Cup qualifier of the last campaign Bermuda played around half a dozen games including matches against Nicaragua both home and away, Panama, Trinidad and Barbados.

The 2010 FIFA World Cup preliminary draw takes place on November 25 in Durban, South Africa, in the presence of more than 300 members of the world media.

South Africa will be hosting the showpiece, the first World Cup to be held in Africa.