Bermuda’s under-15 boys’ football team made an outstanding showing to open their FIFA U-15 World Cup campaign with a commanding 5-0 victory over the British Virgin Islands in Azerbaijan.
Five different players found the net for Bermuda in the Group AC match on Pitch 7A at the Hövsan Competition Complex, as the young Gombey Warriors made a flying start to the tournament.
Adam Barritt opened the scoring in the fifth minute before Stephen Astwood doubled Bermuda’s lead in the 17th minute, sending the team into half-time with a 2-0 advantage. Bermuda continued their scoring form after the break, with Darien Lambert adding the third in the 23rd minute and Chaz Edmead making it 4-0 six minutes later. De’Ari Trott completed the scoring in the 35th minute, rounding off an impressive opening victory.
This victory is actually very notable as technically speaking as it marked Bermuda’s debut in a FIFA World Cup competition. On its official website, FIFA included Bermuda among 78 member associations that will be making “their FIFA World Cup debut at inaugural U-15 World Cup” as they had “never previously played at a FIFA World Cup – men’s or women’s, at any age level.”
The statement from FIFA said, “When the inaugural FIFA U-15 World Cup & Festival kicks off in Baku on 24 October, football history will be made on an unprecedented scale: of the 189 participating Member Associations, 78 will feature in a FIFA World Cup competition for the very first time.
“From Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, the 78 newcomers represent every corner of the football world. For these Member Associations, the event is far more than a tournament: it is their first opportunity to compete on the FIFA World Cup stage, following earlier editions of the FIFA World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, FIFA U-17 World Cup, FIFA U-20 World Cup, FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup.”