Bermuda's national football team will see their first action since the shock exit from last year's World Cup qualifiers in just a few short weeks.

But as yet, no-one has been chosen to take up the vacant role of team coach.

Football's regional governors, CONCACAF, revealed yesterday that Bermuda would travel to Antigua and Barbuda in March for the biennial Copa Carib tournament.

The squad will face Antigua/Barbuda, St Kitts and Nevis and the Dominican Republic between March 7 and 11.

Bermuda Football Association president Neville Tyrrell said yesterday that talks were being held with an unnamed person with a view to taking up the reins for the tournament.

"That is something we will not have firmed up at least until possibly the end of next week or something like that,'' he said.

The BFA have placed an advertisement in tomorrow's Royal Gazette seeking applicants for national staff coaches for both youth and senior teams and the president said that was one of the reasons why an announcement was still being awaited.

Without revealing much information on the discussions, Tyrrell said a deadline had been set to get someone in place in order that the team were "up and running'' by the time the tournament came around.

He would not be drawn when asked whether the person being sought was current under-17 team coach, Kenny Thompson, who many observers believe is favourite for the job.

Thompson would seem ideally placed to take on such a role, even though it is believed he sees his long term future with the youth side of the national set-up.

Other names in the frame could be Gary Darrell, Bermuda's most successful national coach, and Andrew Bascome, head coach of league leaders Dandy Town.

Darrell masterminded a remarkable World Cup campaign in 1992, which included victories over Haiti, Antigua and El Salvador.

Bascome has been involved in the national programme before when he was asked to help with preparation of the squad during last year's campaign and is a former national team player.

He also recently threw his hat into the ring for the job of full-time national coach.

Former assistant national coach Mark Trott could also be in the running.

However, his recent dispute with Tyrrell during the BFA's presidential election would likely count against him.

Whoever is in charge for the competition faces a race against time to get the squad ready.

They have not played together since the 1-1 draw with Antigua here in April of last year which dumped them out of contention for a place in the forthcoming World Cup.

The BFA, meanwhile, are seeking coaches for both the male and female teams.

The advertisement states that successful applicants will be asked to participate in various coaching programmes organised by the Association.

The posts will be part-time paid, although the salaries are not outlined.

"All coaching appointments are for a period of one year and applicants must possess the required coaching certifications and experiences to be considered,'' the advert states.

The Association have set a deadline a week today for all interested parties to submit their applications.

Asked whether this initiative was in anyway different to what has been done in the past, Tyrrell said: "We are not reinventing the wheel but we are certainly doing it with some organisational structure.

"I wouldn't want to criticise what we have done in the past, nor would I want to say we are doing anything different. We are basically doing what I would call business practice.'' Tyrrell said the early exit from the World Cup had not prompted this overhaul.

"It is certainly not with that in mind. That is not the primary reason we are doing this,'' he said.

"We are doing this as an overall development exercise. We are talking about youth all the way up to the senior national team. So it's not because we want to go further, we'd like to go further, but it's certainly not as a result of that,'' he said.

The BFA's plan places a large emphasis on youth, prompting thoughts that the Association are looking more at a long term improvement in the game on the Island rather than short term.

"Returns can be quantified in many different ways. But it is a long term exercise,'' Tyrrell said.

Neville Tyrrell: expected to name a new national coach soon.