Bermuda?s character will be severely tested when they come up against unbeaten Digicel Group G leaders and hosts Barbados at what should be a jammed National Stadium tonight.

The Island?s national football team find themselves in a must-win situation ? and to win by a margin of two clear goals ? in order to ensure they advance to next January?s finals of the competition.

Bermuda are fresh off an inspiring win over Bahamas which has kept their cup hopes alive, but now face arguably their biggest challenge of the second round.

Meanwhile, hosts Barbados, bolstered by Sheffield United forward Paul Ifill and Trinidad-based professional centre back Dwight James, need only take a point off Bermuda in tonight?s second match in order to win the group outright, and advance to a second straight appearance in the finals.

Barbados? other pro forward Mark McCammon was denied leave by UK club Doncaster Rovers.

The Caribbean island hosted the 2005 finals, placing fourth overall.

And now Barbados? technical advisor and former captain and coach Keith Griffith is confident his team can qualify for January?s finals in Trinidad and Tobago.

?I?m quietly confident Barbados will win and go on and win the group to advance. We do respect Bermuda, but we are at home and should feel comfortable playing against them at the stadium in front of our own massive crowd,? he said.

The last time the two countries met in Bermuda in late 2003 early 2004, Barbados came away 2-1 and 4-0 victors.

?So despite the fact we respect them, I still think we will have the psychological advantage,? Griffith continued. ?Bermuda need to win while Barbados only need to draw, although it?s not as though we are going to sit back and play for a draw. But surely we must have the advantage.?

And the former Barbados international reckons the best has yet to come from his team.

?We were quite close to our best against St. Vincent, so I think another 20 percent will get us there,? he said. ?We just need to sort out one or two little technical things, but in general we?re quite happy.?

Bermuda coach Kyle Lightbourne says it?s all going to boil down to whichever team wants it the most on the day.

?This is going to be a huge task for us because Barbados will be fired up and all they need is a draw to qualify (for finals) while we could win the match but still struggle to go through. So it?s all to play for,? the former English pro striker said.

?I thought Barbados looked a little loose in their first game against Bahamas, but last night they showed that they can play.?

While Lightbourne doesn?t foresee making wholesale changes to the squad that defeated Bahamas decisively on Tuesday night, he does remain concerned over the health status of injured team captain Kentoine Jennings.

Jennings missed the first match against St. Vincent through suspension and the last one through an injured calf muscle.

?We can?t force Kentoine to play if he isn?t ready. And so we?ll just take things as they come along,? Lightbourne said.

Striker John Barry Nusum will again lead the team in Jennings? absence.

As for the home team?s vociferous crowd, the former pro commented: ?I don?t find their crowd intimidating at all. We?ve already analysed how we performed in our last match (against Bahamas) in which I though the guys played good football.

?And so I?m confident we can beat Barbados on the day.?

St. Vincent take on Bahamas in tonight?s opening Digicel contest at the National Stadium in match they should easily win.