Lightbourne Happy To Give Youth A Chance
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Kyle Lightbourne admits travel restrictions to the United States for players unvaccinated against coronavirus has led to him freshening up his Bermuda squad for their upcoming Concacaf Nations League matches.
The Bermuda coach’s side face Guyana at the Flora Duffy Stadium on Saturday (March 25) before travelling to the Dominican Republic to play Haiti in their final League B group B match three days later.
Talented teenagers Deniche Hill, Sincere Hall and Harry Twite are in the 23-man squad, along with newcomers such as Ahrià Simons, Jai Bean and Nathan Furbert.
Among the experienced faces are Nahki Wells, Roger Lee, Zeiko Lewis, Dale Eve and Danté Leverock.
“Some changes are forced, and some are much needed,” Lightbourne told Bernews.
“It’s been difficult with the travel restrictions [to the US] regarding who is vaccinated and who isn’t vaccinated. That’s a problem for us.
“We already have a small pool of players to pick from. It hurts us, but it’s an opportunity for other players. We’ve picked a squad with players available for both matches.
“We’re hoping the US will lift their status on unvaccinated travellers, and everything will return to normal soon.”
Lightbourne, who guided Bermuda to the Gold Cup for the first time in 2019, believes it is vital to introduce younger players into the national team fold and has urged them to seize their opportunities.
“We’re going through a transition, and our squad is starting to age out, especially for the amateur players,” he said. “When you reach 31, 32 years old, international football probably isn’t for them in terms of their family life and careers.
“We need to bring the younger players in and have a chance do it now.”
Bermuda must beat Guyana to keep hopes alive of claiming second place in the four-team group to advance to the 12-team preliminary event for the Gold Cup, where three qualifying spots will be available.
Lightbourne’s team are two points behind second-place Guyana, who beat Bermuda 2-1 at home last summer.
A format to the next Nations League, which starts in September, means no team will be relegated.
“It’s a huge opportunity for us,” Lightbourne added. “It’s always a competitive game against Guyana. The last time we played them, we were really poor, but the team have usually been evenly matched in recent years.”
Well the pitch will be miles better, and that should suit Bermuda. Go get ‘em.