The Bermuda Football Association intends to assemble its strongest possible squad for the upcoming World Cup qualifying campaign, Richard Todd, the BFA academy director, said yesterday.

Todd said that the BFA planned to bring back all of the Island’s top overseas-based professionals such as Nahki Wells, Reggie Lambe, Jonté Smith, Dale Eve and Freddy Hall for the two-legged first-round tie against Bahamas.

“One thing the coach [Andrew Bascome] really would like to see is the strongest possible group that we have,” Todd said.

“We think the Bermuda public would like to have a look at the overseas-based players and see what Bermuda look like at our strongest.

“We do have intentions of calling Nahki Wells, Reggie Lambe and the rest. We have touched base with them and everything has been positive.”

Todd said that he understood the “club versus country” problems facing Bermuda’s British-based players, particularly Lambe who extended his contract this month with Sky Bet League Two side Mansfield Town until the end of the season.

“We know of Reggie’s situation with only being contracted until the end of the season, but we do think that it’s important at the international level, particularly World Cup commitments, that players make themselves available.

“Fifa regulations protect players, with overseas clubs obligated to release players when called up for international duty. Our stance is that we want our strongest team because this group has not played together fully yet.”

Bascome, who is leading Bermuda into a qualifying campaign for the first time, was critical of some of the Island’s local players this week, urging them to increase their desire and commitment or risk being embarrassed by Bahamas.

Todd has also challenged Bermuda’s local players to earn a spot in Bascome’s team despite the competition posed by the overseas-based contingent who are playing regularly at a higher level.

“We’re stressing to the [local] players that they have to put in the work, come together as a team and execute a solid game plan,” Todd said. “I don’t know if it is so much apathy, but ‘Coach’ Bascome is trying to stress to some individuals that nobody will receive preferential treatment or favours.

“We will expect everybody to show a commitment level and put in the work to prepare themselves to be available for selection.

“With the challenge of having so many overseas-based players, we are doing the best we can with our preparations and, of course, with the available funding.”

The Bermuda squad will have its second on-Island training camp on February 13 and 14. The squad will then head to Florida from March 5 to 9 for another training camp before the first leg in Bahamas on March 25 and the return leg in Bermuda on March 29.

“The plan is for the team to go to the IMG Academy in Bradenton to play two warm-up matches against either college or USL [United States Leagues] pro teams,” Todd said.

Victory over Bahamas would secure a second-round tie against Guatemala in June and then possibly Canada in the third round.

• The World Cup qualifying campaign has forced the BFA to put back the final round of Premier Division matches from March 15 to April 5.

The BFA, which received some criticism for the late staging of last season’s prize presentation, has scheduled the awards night for April 10, two days before the FA Cup Final.

League matches rained out on Monday night at Devonshire Recreation Club, have been rescheduled for February 10 at the same venue.

Wolves play Young Men’s Social Club and Devonshire Cougars meet Robin Hood.