Bermuda begin their Caribbean Under-17 Championship qualifying campaign this evening when they take on hosts Bahamas this evening at the Roscow RL Davies Stadium in Nassau.

Group four will also involve Puerto Rico and Martinique, with the winners of each of the five qualifying groups plus the two best second-placed teams advancing to the finals in Haiti in September. The regional event also serves as a qualifier for the Under-17 World Cup.

The Bermuda team have settled in and are said to be looking forward to the qualifying campaign, during which they will play three matches in four days.

“It’s quite hot and has been raining on and off, and we’re anticipating a wet pitch,” Mark Wade, Bermuda’s head of delegation, said. “We’re just settling in at the hotel and we’ll have the first training session on the pitch this afternoon.”

Bermuda have five players based overseas in their 20-man squad, including captain Amar Lewis, who is in school in the UK and had trials with West Ham United back in 2010.

Jahkari Furbert, who had trials with West Ham two years ago, is now with the Cornella Academy in Spain, while Osagi Bascome, national coach Andrew Bascome’s nephew, is at Valencia along with goalkeeper Nathan Trott. Judah Chapman, another midfielder, is with AFC Wimbledon in England.

“Amar was the captain last year at the under-15 championships and the coaching staff have retained him,” Wade said. “Some of the players are based in Spain, some in the UK and some in prep school in the US, and that brings the experience of playing at a higher level, but they are blending very well.

“They hadn’t stopped training from last year. The ones based locally trained right through the year and the overseas players, whenever they came home, joined the training squad. All of the group were there in December and had a really good training camp, and then had about four weeks together once school finished.”

The Bermuda coaching staff is not sure what to expect from their opponents, with Puerto Rico expected to be strong and Bahamas having home advantage. “You’re never sure at this level and how much development a country has done over the years,” Wade said. “The hosts will definitely be motivated to perform well.”

Wade is pleased with the progress made by the Academy teams, with this team coming from the under-15s two years ago. “This group has had a good bunch of experience over the last two years, between the Under-15 Championship and to the Open Cup in the US, twice,” Wade said.

“It’s definitely a good group and setting the tone for the ones to follow. We definitely don’t want to rely on being one of the best second-placed teams in the competition, so topping the group is the objective here. Our first match has to be approached like it is a final and three points out of that will put us in good shape.”

After their exertions in the Bahamas, the team will travel to Mexico to play in the third edition of the Mexico Cup of Nations when they will play matches against Chile, Portugal and Colombia on August 2, 3 and 4.