Reprinted from Caribbean Net News
caribbeannetnews.com

Bahamas riding the wave of success
10-07-2006

ZURICH, Switzerland: September 2006 is a month football fans in the Bahamas will remember for quite some time. Following their outstanding success in the group qualifiers for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, supporters and officials had to endure an agonising week waiting for confirmation that their heroes had achieved a meteoric rise from 193rd to 138th place in the global ranking. Yet, when General Secretary of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA), Lionel Haven, visited FIFA.com on 13 September, the celebrations began.

This huge leap of 55 places in one short month secured the best ever standing in the history of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA). The FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking was in its infancy when the island state recorded its previous highpoint of 166th spot between August and October 1993 (their lowest ever placing was 197th back in March 1999). So, what has happened over recent times to take Bahamian football to such heady heights, not to mention its 16th place in the CONCACAF list?

The dramatic improvement in the September ranking is due to two crucial victories for Gary White's men. In the first round of Caribbean qualification for the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup, the senior squad recorded a convincing 3-1 win over the previously higher-ranked Cayman Islands in the Cuban capital of Havana, before recovering from defeat against Cuba to overcome the Turks and Caicos Islands, also hitherto ahead in the rankings, by a margin of 3-2 in an exciting clash on 6 September. The Caribbean archipelago now joins group winners Cuba in the second round, having collected a good haul of bonus points for the world ranking on the way.

"Our results in qualification were simply amazing, as is our position in the FIFA ranking. This will help to spur us on to continue the work we have already been doing," Lionel Haven, General Secretary of the Bahamas Football Association (BFA), told FIFA.com. "However, we have to keep our feet on the ground and cannot afford to get too carried away. Having achieved this ranking, we now need to prove that we have earned it by maintaining or even improving our placing."

The second round of Caribbean qualification during October and November will provide just such a challenge, and one the islanders will be looking forward to with renewed self-confidence. An international friendly is planned for the end of October to ensure that the men in blue and yellow are in top form for the tough fixtures ahead.

The squad comprises a mix of players from domestic and foreign leagues, with the majority plying their trade at colleges and universities in the USA. The US-based players will come into the approaching fixtures with plenty of match practice under their belts due to the early kick-off of the American season. With the number of games to be contested in the coming years set to rise, Haven is confident that this will "help players and coaches alike to up their game".

National of Bahamas listening to the national anthem.

The Bahamas national side listen proudly to their anthem.

Courtesy of BFA

Patience bears fruit

The systematic planning and foresight of the country's FA have played a major role in the achievements of the Bahamas side. "Several years ago, the BFA took the FIFA slogan 'Take the game to the world' to heart and focused on improving the game in the Bahamas. The key to success is to invest in youth and establish training programmes to give young players the best possible start to their careers. It is also vital to have good referees."

The success of the last ten years is based on four pillars, as Haven emphasised: "Foresight, focus, continuity and patience." BFA President Anton Sealey set out the vision and the executive body of the association transformed the ideas into a long-term plan which is now bearing fruit. Two of the main objectives were to establish a national football centre and introduce an effective youth programme.

Financial resources from the GOAL programme were used to set up the National Centre for Football Development in 2001. Back in 1997, a handful of coaches launched a programme for young players. There are now a number of clubs with specialised youth programmes on the two most densely populated islands, eleven on New Providence and three on Grand Bahama.

Moreover, leagues for all age levels have now been established to enable even the youngest of players to enjoy the people's game in a competitive environment. All seven BFA members are currently involved or have been involved in the past in youth programmes, an astounding fact which sends a positive message to the people of the Bahamas and beyond. "We practise what we preach," added Haven.

Football on the up

The majority of the current senior squad successfully emerged from school and national development programmes. Talented players are selected from schools and at youth level and then brought into regional programmes. Further selection takes place at this stage, with the very best players qualifying for the national academy from where players for the national team are recruited. The focus is then primarily on the clubs as this is where the players will gain the majority of their competitive training and experience.

"Over recent years we've worked closely with the league to ensure that our domestic players are integrated into the clubs to such an extent that they are in top form for tournaments, as was the case recently. This is an exhaustive process and one we are keen to continue."

The current success has given a major boost to football on the island. The interest from the local media has been unprecedented, and the phone lines at the association offices have been jammed with parents desperate to register their children with a club. The level of interest has been so high that a few outfits have even had to stop taking new members.

"The success of our national side has increased the desire to pull on the national colours. Our aim is to further improve the marketability and attractiveness of the game," explained Haven. To ensure that the positive trend continues, the FA is keen to stick to the principles which have served it well in recent times, which are to remain alert, patient, and focused on the job in hand and one's chosen path even in the face of criticism. This is a recipe which is sure to reap further rewards in the coming years.