Bermuda coach Aaron Denkins was delighted with the “favourable” 2026 Concacaf Under-17 Men’s World Cup qualifiers draw, which placed the island in group H with host nation Honduras, Guyana and Surinam.

Denkins, who has switched from the under-20 women to the under-17 men, where he takes over Aaron Lugo, believes his side have a decent chance of qualifying.

The matches are scheduled for February 3 to 12, with Bermuda needing to finish top to secure qualification for the global tournament.

“We are excited and encouraged by the draw,” Denkins said.

“To have avoided a group with the “Big 4” in our region, the United States, Canada, Mexico and Haiti was a big relief.

“The team has been training and went through all of the scenarios, this was one path that they thought that gave us the best chance for success.

“I agree that this is a favourable draw but we still have to work hard and show up on match day.

“Now that we know our opponents, our team will now focus more intentionally. We will look to draw inspiration from the senior men and women’s teams who are in competition next.

“Hopefully, Bermuda can get behind all of our teams who are trying to make our nation proud.”

With Curtis Jackson, Tyler Steede, Amir Brangman, Kalen Brunson and Na’im Zuill, who were part of the squad that played in the qualifiers at home early this year still eligible for selection, Denkins already has a foundation to build his team from.

“There are a number of overseas-based players available for selection, which shows the depth of this talented team,” the coach said.

“The overseas-based players, who should be here over the Christmas period, have really engaged with the on-island staff by sending in match footage and communicating regularly.”