The task of rebuilding the Bermuda Under-23 squad begins this week minus the seven players who are still being held in Miami on drug charges.

A training squad list released by the Bermuda Football Association yesterday was missing the names of Meshach Wade, Donnie Charles, Keishon Smith, Herbie Dillas, Shawn Riley, Kevin Jennings and Tokia Russell who will soon stand trial in Florida.

And though seven over-aged players had been included in the list of 35 -- Bermuda can include three players over 23 in the squad for the Pan Am Games -- the names of professionals Shawn Goater, Kyle Lightbourne and David Bascome were not, as anticipated, among them.

Coach Mark Trott who, ironically, was instrumental in getting Goater and Lightbourne to England in pursuit of their professional careers, admitted to being reluctant to interrupt the progress both players are making this season.

"I don't want to unsettle them at the moment,'' said Trott yesterday. "Both are doing extremely well and at this point if it looks like they're going to be successful. I won't interfere with that.'' Trott admitted he had not talked with the players, having just returned from vacation at the weekend. Whether an approach will be made to them remained unclear.

"I'll have to sit down with the BFA hierarchy and take it from there,'' Trott said.

"I definitely want to see them succeed. They are totally in my mind and if they want to make themselves available I would be more than willing to have them. But if their clubs are reluctant I won't push the issue.'' The remaining 12 players from the successful Pan Am qualifying campaign in Kingston, Jamaica last month have been retained to form the nucleus of the squad, with defenders Kentoine Jennings, Jermaine Burrows and Shawn Smith, goalkeeper Troy Hall and midfielder-forwards Kenny Thompson, Ellington Weldon and Dwight Warren being the seven over-aged players who will battle for the three places.

Most of the seven have represented Bermuda at youth and or senior level with Jennings, Thompson and Smith all members of the Bermuda team which attempted to qualify for the World Cup in 1992.

As well there are eight college students, Thompson being the ninth, included in the list. They are Stanton Lewis, Kimande Binns, Maceo Dill, Quincey Aberdeen, Shannon Burgess, Keimon Lawrence, Tafari Outerbridge and Janeiro Tucker.

The Bermuda team's accomplishments in Jamaica have been overshadowed by the arrests in Miami as the team prepared to return to Bermuda and now the BFA is hoping to redirect the attention to the task of preparing the team for the trip to Argentina in March. The team must be submitted to the Bermuda Olympic Association by February 15, about a week after the trials for the majority of the seven players in Miami is due to begin.

"We want to turn the focus on to what this Under-23 team has done, which was to qualify for the Pan Am Games...on the field,'' said BFA general secretary David Sabir yesterday.

"We now want some congratulations and praise to be given to all of the players. Now we must focus our attention on the task remaining and that is the Under-23s going on to represent Bermuda to the best of their potential. That would be absolutely wonderful.'' A meeting will be held tomorrow evening at the BFA office at 6.30 for the players listed in the squad. They are asked to report with full training gear which should include white clothing, boots, running shoes and shin pads.

Training sessions for the squad are being planned for Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between 6.30 and 8.30.

Squad: Dwayne Adams (BAA), Tim Figureido, Kentoine Jennings (both Vasco), Andrew Rahman, Kwame Tucker, Lamaul Crofton, Najee Woods, Jermaine Burrows, Kenny Thompson (all Somerset), Blenn Bean, Dano Outerbridge, Ottis Steede, Raynel Lightbourne, Shawn Simons, Stanton Lewis (PHC), Dean Bailey, Troy Hall (St. George's), Nakia Smith, Kimande Binns, Maceo Dill (North Village), Jahmah Samuels, McKonnen Hollis, Ellington Weldon, Quincey Aberdeen, Shannon Burgess, Keimon Lawrence (all Devonshire Colts), Ascento Russell, Giovanni Wilson, Tafari Outerbridge (Dandy Town), Jason Raynor, Janeiro Tucker (Southampton Rangers), Jermel Samuels, Dwight Warren (Boulevard), Aaron Lugo (St. David's), Shawn Smith (Devonshire Cougars).

Shawn Smith