National football coach Keith Tucker received top marks yesterday from Bermuda Referees Association (BRA) boss Anthony Francis who reckons the former Howard University coach may be onto something big with 2010 World Cup qualifiers fast approaching.

"Under new head coach Keith Tucker I must say that I am very impressed with the way he has got the players to gel together while the quality of the team has improved. The way the players are responding to their new coach is very positive," Francis said.

"I believe Keith has instilled a new motivation and the way I saw our stalwarts Kwame (Steede), Stephen (Astwood), Sammy (DeGraff) and Domico (Coddington) gel with the new players coming in was very impressive in the way they played. Whatever the new coach is doing has inspired these guys to want to put on a Bermuda jersey - and I appreciate the fact that Shaun Goater has already told his players (Bermuda Hogges) to put on a Bermuda jersey.

"The motivation level in training is unbelievable; they do not want to stop. Normally if you tell the guys to play for 45 minutes after 35 they want to stop. But these guys want more, simply based on the quality of football they are playing. I think pretty soon spots on the national team are going to be hard to come by because of the quality of football has definitely raised since the last time I saw them play."

With fellow islanders St. Kitts and Nevis due in Bermuda this week, Tucker and his new-look senior national squad will officially launch their World Cup qualifying bid in front of the home crowd where Francis is confident the home team will make a good impression.

"I think we can beat St. Kitts twice because we are stronger and the new coach is definitely got us in a good spot where the two friendlies coming up are going to show the Bermuda public that we are capable of being one of the top countries in the Concacaf region again. I believe our national team can even pull of a couple of surprises in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers," Francis added.

Bermuda take on St. Kitts at the National Sports Centre (NSC) on Friday and Sunday, with coach Tucker having urged the public to come out in throngs and throw their support behind the home team.