While Bermuda has registered to take part in the World Cup qualifying competition, the Island's participation in the event is by no means a certainty, The Royal Gazette can reveal.

Whether the Island does take part will depend on certain requirements being met, although it is not yet known exactly what these are.

Bermuda Football Association (BFA) president Richard Thompson yesterday said the country's entry was reliant on certain factors, but was otherwise tight-lipped on the subject.

"The decision is a provisional one depending on certain circumstances,'' was all Thompson would say, but he did promise to reveal exact details regarding the matter at a later date.

However, speculation remains rife that money is a major problem, with thousands of dollars needed to finance any such campaign.

There is also talk about Bermuda being persuaded by the area's governing body, CONCACAF, to join the fray. It is understood that CONCACAF, headed by Jack Warner, stands to profit from additional entries, as world governing body FIFA allocates funding based on the number of participants supplied by the various regions.

Of the 30 nations listed to participate from the CONCACAF region which includes powerhouses Mexico, only Bermuda and Cuba failed to enter initially.

However, on Monday reports disclosed that Bermuda had submitted their name for entry in the `big show' and on Tuesday they were drawn to meet Trinidad and Tobago in the qualifying round of the CONCACAF group. Cuba, the other late entrants, were matched against Cayman Islands.

A date for the Burkhard Ziese versus Bermuda Football Association court trial has been set for January 22.

German Ziese is suing the BFA, claiming unfair dismissal from the post of technical director of coaching.