Clyde Best has called for support from clubs for the Bermuda national team with the huge challenges of a World Cup and Olympic qualifying year ahead.

With the first soccer international of the new season to be played tomorrow night against the Cayman Islands at BAA Field, Best has reiterated his plea for clubs to help rather than hinder the national team set-up.

"I want to ask the clubs to work with us and to remember that we are going into a World Cup year,'' said Best, the national director of coaching. "If those clubs can find a way to help the national team, we would ask that they do.'' He added that most clubs were now co-operative, releasing their players for national squad training with head coach Robert Calderon and his assistant Mark Trott.

"On the whole clubs are being helpful, but we are still finding one or two pockets which give us a bad time,'' added Best, who declined to name the clubs in question.

"We are trying to do our bit by holding our training sessions on nights when clubs don't have theirs.

"When you look at what happens in Europe, players are often away from their clubs for days at a time with national teams, like the England players in Poland, for example.'' Tomorrow night's clash is the first of two friendlies against the Caribbean side, the second to be played on Saturday night, also at BAA Field.

Best said the Bermuda squad would be named today after last night's training session and a few calls to determine the availablity of players studying abroad.

One still in doubt is young defender Kofi Dill, at college in Alabama, and already ruled out are John Barry Nusum and Damon Ming.

Best promised changes from the last international, when Bermuda went down fighting, losing 2-1 at the National Stadium against a strong Cuba side in the Caribbean Cup qualifying tournament.

Also in that competition were the Caymans, who were thrashed 4-1 by Bermuda on a night when Devonshire Colts striker Keishon Smith scored a memorable hat-trick.

"Of course, we want to win, but we will also be experimenting over the two games,'' said Best. "That is the only way we will find out our best players for when the World Cup does come round.

"We will be including one or two older players, who deserve their chance, but don't be surprised to see one or two from the under-17 squad in there too. We want to give them some experience of the big occasion.'' Kyle Lightbourne opened his scoring for the season on Saturday...with the kind of goal all players dread! Lightbourne, struggling to claim a starting spot at Stoke City, was rewarded with a place in the team against Cambridge United. But, already the subject of boos from Stoke fans this season, his misery continued when he netted an own goal for Cambridge's equaliser early in the second half.

But all ended well as Stoke scored twice in the 81st and 86th minutes for a 3-1 win, their first away victory of the season.