Bermuda Football Association president Mark Wade is excited as the national team attempt to qualify for the World Cup for the first time.

Bermuda will host Jamaica in the opening group match of the final stage of World Cup qualifying before a sold-out crowd at Flora Duffy Stadium tonight, with the chance to play against some of the top teams in the Concacaf region testament to the hard work of everybody at the BFA.

“This is the level where we want to be playing and the level of teams we want to be playing against,” Wade told The Royal Gazette.

“It’s always been a part of our strategic plan to be playing at this level, which is basically League A level of Concacaf and being in the top half or even top third of the Concacaf rankings

“This is where we want to be and it’s testament to the work done by Maurice Lowe [BFA technical director], his team, and even to some degree those who have come before me because all of this was part of our strategic planning over the years.

“In one sense we’re very excited about what’s happened and how we’ve got here, but then at the same time you sit down and say ‘what have we done?’ because this is a whole new level of competition and a whole new level of organisation.

“We’ve got a sold-out stadium and the last time we did that was against Mexico back in 2019. It’s definitely exciting and a little stressful at times, but our team here in the office and our administrative team are up for the challenge and looking forward to the match.”

Wade thinks that beating Jamaica tonight is not merely a dream and could springboard Bermuda toward the World Cup.

“Do we have a chance? Absolutely,” he said.

“I have done the math and if we do the business at home three times and get something out of those matches, there is a solid chance for us to advance either by topping the group or being one of the best second-place teams and getting into the continental play-off.

“This is real. it’s not us just happy to be here. Our players believe in themselves, we believe in them and they deserve to be here.

“We’re looking forward to not only the match against Jamaica, but also looking forward to the matches against Trinidad, whose number we’ve had once or twice, and Curacao.

“As a former player and coach, who has coached at the international level [Bermuda Under-17], I haven’t forgotten those days of international competition and what it means being in the cut and thrust of it all.

“I know that the coaching staff and the players are excited and we just want them to maintain that excitement and produce on the day.”