Bermuda received a generous break in the 2002 World Cup qualifying draw made yesterday in Japan when they were pitted against British Virgin Islands in their opening knockout match.

But BFA technical director Clyde Best immediately warned against complacency as his squad prepare for a campaign which could take them further in the qualifying phase than any previous Bermuda side.

Best couldn't hide his satisfaction with the draw which put Bermuda in Group Two in the CONCACAF Caribbean Zone along with St. Vincent, US Virgin Islands, St. Kitts and Nevis, Turks and Caicos Islands, Guyana, Antigua and Barbuda and British Virgin Islands.

Their first hurdle will be a home and away tie against BVI.

"We're over the moon with the draw but there is no sense having a good draw if we're not going to prepare for it,'' said Best yesterday.

The national coach has long stressed to his colleagues at Bermuda Football Asosciation the importance of high level overseas tours to countries like England and Germany, knowing that his World Cup opponents will also be taking the qualifying matches very seriously.

"These countries might be doing something different to what we're doing, like getting games against foreign opposition overseas.'' Best warned.

In the 1994 Cup qualifying, Bermuda experienced hostile environments in both Haiti and El Salvador. In Haiti, armed guards patrolled the perimeter of the field, and in El Salvador the home team romped to a 4-1 victory after being spurred on by a vocal crowd of about 45,000.

Goalkeeper Dwayne (Streaker) Adams won't forget that match as he was hit in the back of the head by a battery thrown from the crowd.

Best, however, remains confident.

"I'm satisfied with what I've seen Bermuda do locally and I know we can do well,'' he said.

"But we have to go overseas and get into the hostile environment, where people are jumping up on fences and throwing things at you, to see how we handle that.

"We in this country have to start finding the finances to give our athletes the best chance possible to qualify, because everybody expects them to but we don't give them the opportunity because of lack of preparation.

"Though I'm happy with the draw, I want to be as happy when they come to me and say `you can prepare properly'.'' Under coach Gary Darrell, Bermuda reached the second round of qualifying in 1992 as they went further than any Bermuda team before them. But now this squad under Best and head coach Robert Calderon has the chance to reach the Super 12 stage, at least.

The BVI provide Bermuda's first round opponents and if Best's men survive that home-and-away tie, they will meet the winners of Guyana and Antigua in the second round.

Success in that two-leg match would mean a third round knockout tie against either St. Vincent, US Virgin Islands, St. Kitts or Turks and Caicos.

At the third round stage, Bermuda would have two chances to reach the Super 12 which will feature top teams like Costa Rica, Jamaica, Mexico and the United States. If they lose their third round match, Bermuda would have to play off against the runners-up in Central America Group A with the winners advancing to the Super 12.

Victory in the third round would guarantee Bermuda one of the automatic spots in the Super 12 when, for all intents and purposes, the qualifying begins for the three CONCACAF places in the World Cup 2002 in Japan and South Korea.

Best insisted a place in the Super 12 was "very achievable''.

"Being a very wealthy society, we have to look at ourselves and ask what future can sport play in our society?'' he stated.

"We have to be honest and open with it and take a look at all our sports and say what we want from them. For too long we have been going about it the wrong way. We expect so much but given so little.

"We can't expect an athlete to reach the mountain top if we give him nothing to reach the mountain top with.'' The Super 12 will involve three groups of four to play on a round robin basis with the top two teams from each group advancing to a final round which will again be a league format, from which the top three will advance to the World Cup finals.

Clyde Best: `...No sense in having a good draw if we're not going to prepare for it.'