The Bermuda Football Association has announced a 20-member squad to represent the island at the Concacaf Under-17 Championship in Bradenton, Florida, next week.

The squad will captained by Jayden Ebbin, the PHC Zebras midfielder, and also includes Arnezha Astwood, Manoj Paynter, Ayleal Dill, Mazhi Simmons, Khyree Hollis, Coleridge Fubler, Nahje Smith, LJ Lewis, Diione Millett, Nazuri Dailey, Malachi Trott, Jai Bean, Ne-Jai Tucker, Samori Greenidge-Saltus, Jayce Basden, Oyinde Bascome, Seke Spence, Zaire Smith and Zakiyah Lee.

Cecoy Robinson, the PHC and Bermuda forward, is the under-17 coach and will be assisted by Kyle Lightbourne, the Bermuda national team coach, and goalkeeper coach Dashun Cooper.

The regional tournament will be staged at the IMG Academy campus from May 1 to 16.

Robinson’s team will begin their group E campaign against Trinidad on May 1 before facing defending champions Mexico on May 3 and Jamaica on May 5 in their remaining group matches.

“They have a very steep mountain to climb, but we have prepared to the best of our ability,” Maurice Lowe, the BFA technical development director, said.

Lowe said Bermuda’s qualification for the Concacaf Gold Cup has inspired the players.

“We have some examples of some of the things that we are doing tactically,” Lowe said.

“The senior team is doing those things and now the other academy teams have a point of reference. It’s realistic to them.”

Group F includes the United States, Canada, Guatemala and Barbados, with Honduras, Haiti, El Salvador and Guayana making up group G and Costa Rica, Panama, Surinam and Curaçao in group H.

The top three finishers in each of the groups will join the winners of groups A, B, C and D from the qualifiers — Nicaragua, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe and Puerto Rico — in the round of 16.

The semi-finalists will automatically qualify for the Under-17 World Cup to be held in Brazil in from September 17 to October 8.

Mexico won their third straight Under-17 Championship and seventh overall after beating United States 5-4 on penalties in the final of the previous tournament held in Panama in 2017.