CONCACAF president Jack Warner, reached last night from Guatamala, said that Bermuda may still be prevented from competing in the Pan-Am Games, particularly if all seven of the Under-23 players arrested in Miami are convicted of drug offences.

This startling new development comes almost a week after FIFA reinstated Bermuda to the Pan-Am finals, the day after CONCACAF had slapped Island soccer with a provisional two-year ban.

Warner noted that even though Bermuda's two opponents in Pan-Am qualifying -- Canada and Jamaica -- are unable to appeal the FIFA ruling, CONCACAF can.

"We have that possibility,'' said Warner, who is in the Central American nation investigating a problem with Guatamalan soccer referees. "It's possible. I don't know what I shall do. I'll wait until after December 30. We have the legal right to do it.'' Warner disclosed that he has not been in contact with any members of the Bermuda Football Association (BFA) executive since last Thursday. He said the two-page report he received from the BFA on December 15 "was designed to say that the (drugs) were planted by Jamaicans. That's what the BFA report said.'' BFA officials were unavailable for comment last night.

That stands in direct contradiction to a report filed by Technical Director of Coaching Burkhard Ziese with CONCACAF.

"Not once have (the BFA) told me a (drug) problem existed or that they had suspicions, not once. The only person who told me that was Ziese,'' said Warner.

Warner went on to say that if he hadn't received damaging evidence from Ziese "I would have been totally fooled, I might have believed Jamaica had some part to play in it. I would have had serious suspicions and I wouldn't have known about the cancer that exists in Bermuda.'' Later he said: "I will do anything to bring this thing to a head because I think it was, how can I put it diplomatically, I think (the BFA) tried to bury the problem and by doing so they didn't do football in Bermuda any good, or the kids who are in prison or themselves.'' Canadian coach Bob Lenarduzzi said yesterday that the FIFA ruling should now be looked at in a different light if BFA officials were aware of drug problems on the Under-23 squad.

He said that if the BFA did not act on information provided by Ziese, then "I'm disappointed that, in fact, FIFA have chosen to go the way they have.'' FIFA, in effect, declared that Bermuda football should not be made to suffer so harshly for an incident that took place away from the pitch.

"If they were aware of it and the players were continuing to play, then we're not simply talking about an incident away from the field anymore,'' said Lenarduzzi from the Vancouver office of the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA).

Lenarduzzi, coach of Canada's World Cup and Olympic teams, was also coach of the Canadian Under-23s in Jamaica.

"You're not talking about seven players acting independently any more, you're talking about an association that was aware of what was going on.'' The original ruling made last Thursday by CONCACAF could have opened the door for Canada and Jamaica to gain a second chance at qualifying if any of the seven Bermuda players arrested in Miami on December 9 were found guilty at their trials next week.

Lenarduzzi said he was planning to alert CSA director general Kevin Pipe, whose office is located in Ottawa, about the latest developments.

He was also hoping to obtain copies of Ziese's memos, sent to BFA officials from Jamaica warning them about drug problems on the Under-23 squad.

The memos were written on November 28 and 30, prior to the first game against Canada on December 2.

Ziese's letters paint a picture of drug use on the squad. "I believe it's high time to make a clear and stern decision in this regard,'' Ziese wrote.

Lenarduzzi, however, said it was unlikely Canada would launch an official protest and would ultimately abide by FIFA's decision.

"But I think everyone should be made aware of this,'' Lenarduzzi said.

Las Walcott, secretary general of the Jamaican Football Association (JFA), also said that he would not contest the FIFA ruling.

A week ago Walcott firmly rebuffed claims that Jamaicans were involved in a plot to frame the Bermuda players.

"We wouldn't stoop so low to qualify, it wouldn't befit our character or football in this country.'' Last night he said: "We wish Bermuda all the best in the Pan-Am Games. This is most unfortunate, but we hope this will send a message to users or pushers of drugs that the consequences can be very severe.'' Walcott said the Jamaicans originally "welcomed the chance'' for another chance to qualify for the Games, scheduled for next March.

"We wouldn't have minded,'' said Walcott. "At this stage the JFA would just like to leave that decision up to CONCACAF. We would want to leave it at that.

We feel that if the players are caught, the law will take its course. There's a position that's clear within FIFA that players who bring the game into disrepute...they will be dealt with also. We are just guided by the rules and regulations of CONCACAF.'' Lenarduzzi said he never suspected anything unusual about the Bermuda squad while he was in Jamaica.

"Not at all,'' he said. "In fact, if anything I thought they were quite tight. And just from their attitude on the field they obviously were there with a view to qualifying for the Pan Ams. The bottom line is they wanted it more than we did and I was quite impressed with that side of it.''