Bermuda women’s football coach Naquita Robinson believes that her team has a target on their back at the Island Games in Orkney after a dominant performance two years ago.

Robinson’s side produced an incredible display in Guernsey. They thumped Western Isles 4-0 in the final. That result capped a sensational run for Bermuda in which they scored 15 times without goalkeeper Zakhari Turner conceding.

It also marked a triumphant return to the Games for the women’s team, which won gold the last time they took part in the competition on home soil in 2013.

As they prepare for back-to-back action from tomorrow to Tuesday, Robinson’s side will be aiming to defend their title. They face Jersey, Isle of Wight and Shetland in the group stage.

If they finish in the top two, they will proceed to the semi-finals on Thursday, with the final set the next day.

“Defending champions will always have a target on their backs,” Robinson told The Royal Gazette.

“We’re playing two teams that we played in 2023, so that makes it even more tricky for us. The players are not focused on that, they are here to play this tournament like any other tournament.

LeiLanni Nesbeth, the star of the show in Guernsey with four goals, is a big miss for Bermuda, as well as captain Eva Frazzoni.

The absence of players with their quality will always be a miss, but the players included have trained well and are more than capable of filling the roles,“ she said.

“It’s going to be tough for us without Eva and LeiLanni and Ashley Tutas.

“But we've picked Jaden Masters, Jahni Simmons, and some other players that are in good form. Victoria Davis is injury-free, so we should be fine since our backline is pretty much the same from last time.”

Before embarking on a six-hour ferry ride from Scotland to Orkney on Thursday, Robinson’s side played two warm-up matches in Aberdeen.

Goals from Masters, Khyla Brangman and an own goal gained a 3-3 draw with Inverurie Loco Works. The next day, Simmons, Emily Cabral and Masters were on target in a 3-0 victory over Elgin City.

“The warm-up matches gave us a chance to get minutes in everyone’s legs and also a chance for the UK players to play with us,” Robinson added.

After finishing fourth in Guernsey, John Barry Nusum’s Bermuda Under-23 are targeting an improvement in Orkney. They face Western Isles in their opening game on Sunday before meeting Ynys Môn on Tuesday.

“We would once again like to be a team that everyone enjoys watching and with that get into the later rounds of the tournament,” Nusum said.

“We have a younger team this time around but the energy of the camp has been great. They have really come together and are showing a maturity off the field that, hopefully, can translate to performances that end in wins.

“The warm-up matches helped to bring a few pieces to our attention, both positive and negative, that we can grow from.

“A large part of this venture is about culture, growth and how to go about raising both of those facets of our players.”