Keunna Dill On Cayman Qualifier And More
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Keunna Dill said the Bermuda women’s national team are targeting two wins from their opening fixtures in the Concacaf W Qualifiers.
Bermuda face the Cayman Islands at the Truman Bodden Stadium in George Town today [November 27] before facing Guatemala away on Monday.
Dill said the squad is “in a great space” heading into the group C campaign and believes the team has a strong blend of youth and experience.
“We’ve got a lot of new faces in the team, which is great for them to gain some experience,” Dill told Bernews.
“We don’t get together as often as we’d like to, but preparations have gone well. We’re excited to get the tournament going.”
The 30-year-old, who won her third gold medal at the International Island Games in Orkney, Scotland, last summer, praised coach Naquita Robinson and her staff for their detailed preparation.
“They’ve done a lot of work behind the scenes to make sure we know exactly what’s expected of us,” she said.
“They give us the best possible platform to execute on the field.
“We’re expecting a battle, and no one is going to give us anything. We’ll have to fight for every point we get.
“Two wins would give us a solid base moving into the next international windows in March and April.”
Bermuda must finish top of group C, which also includes Costa Rica and Grenada, to reach the Concacaf W Championship.
“We don’t know much about Guatemala and Costa Rica, but we know they’re highly ranked,” Dill said.
“The girls are up for it. Our coach always says, ‘We want to beat the best.’ We don’t shy away from competition.”
Dill has been in strong form for FC United of Manchester Women in England’s North West Women’s Regional Premier League, scoring five goals in all competitions this season.
“It’s my first season since having my daughter, Kaori, so I had to work really hard during the offseason,” she said. “We have a great group, and we have some big goals this season.”
Dill, who previously played for Norwich City, Huddersfield Town and Chesham United, lives in the UK with her partner, Bermuda men’s national team winger Justin Donawa.
“It’s quite the footballing household, as Justin’s brother Jace, who was recently called up to the national team, is staying with us while training in the UK,” she said.
“Kaori comes to all my and Justin’s games. She will be supporting me from the UK.”
