Bermuda's national team will play St. Kitts and Nevis in a home-turf double header next month as the countdown to the crunch 2010 World Cup qualifiers begins.

The Bermuda Football Association (BFA) yesterday announced Bermuda would take on the Leeward Islanders in two international friendly matches on December 14 and December 16 at the National Sports Centre.

They will provide new coach Keith Tucker with his first chance to cast his critical gaze and gauge what stage the national team is at ahead of their first round qualifiers in February against the Cayman Islands.

Concacaf powerhouse Trinidad and Tobago ominously await the winners in the second round qualifiers scheduled for June.

St. Kitts and Nevis, ranked 159th in world, enjoyed a surprise run in the 2006 Digicel Cup and recently beat Antigua and Barbuda 3-0 on their travels. Their showstopper is 21-year-old striker Atiba Harris who signed for Major League Soccer (MLS) side Chivas USA from Real Salt Lake this week.

Technical committee chairman Mark Trott said the BFA planned to organise a training camp early next year, with Puerto Rico a possible destination, as well as matches against MLS opposition ahead of the Cayman clash.

"We have been in negotiations with a number of Caribbean nations including Barbados, Antigua, Trinidad and Tobago and Puerto Rico regarding friendly games, and we are looking to organise a training camp," said Trott.

"Puerto Rico is a possible destination with us going there to play two or three matches as we want four or five run-outs before we play the Cayman Islands. Depending on when the MLS teams start their pre-season there's a possibility we could play some further games as they often prepare in Florida.

"Should we progress past Cayman we would then have sufficient time to play more matches ahead of the Trinidad and Tobago game. It's our intention to firm up a lot of this stuff before the end of the year."

Trott said coach Tucker had inside knowledge on Caribbean players and was confident of "getting the job done" against Cayman and Trinidad as he had worked with a raft of Concacaf region players during his time at Howard University in the US.

"Having coached a number of Caribbean players at Howard University, Keith Tucker feels confident he can help us get the job done against Cayman and Trinidad. Obviously Trinidad have a number of professional players such as Sunderland's Kenwyne Jones, Dwight Yorke and Carlos Edwards so we are under no illusions, or disillusions."

Khano Smith, whose New England Revolution lost the MLS Cup early this month, has been notified of the friendly dates against St. Kitts and Nevis, with Ipswich Town's hot property Reggie Thompson-Lambe also onboard.

"Reginald Thompson-Lambe, one of our younger players, who players for the Ipswich Town Academy should be involved in these games," added Trott. "We need to confirm with his parents when he is back, but we have spoken to Ipswich's academy director Tony Hume and he is keen for Reginald to be involved."

One doubt through injury is MISL star John Barry Nusum but coach Tucker stressed the burly striker was a major part of his plans.