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Bermuda winger Damon Ming blame the Federation for team lost against Haiti

Article published Jan 9, 2007

National team winger Damon Ming has taken an angry swipe at Bermuda Football Association, accusing them of failing in their responsibility to properly prepare the squad for major international tournaments.

Speaking in the aftermath of Bermuda?s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Haiti in the opening leg of the Digicel Cup play-offs, the UK-based Ming argued that players could not be expected to deliver against quality teams without regular friendly games and training camps.

The former Dandy Town and Somerset Trojans star said that until there was a drastic overhaul in the administration of local football, Bermuda would never do their talent justice.

?We?re all very disappointed with our performance against Haiti, but considering the team had not played together for months, it was not exactly surprising,? said the 28-year-old Ming, who plays for Nationwide Conference South team Hayes FC in England.

?It was obvious that we weren?t really together as a unit and we found it hard to get anything going.

?The frustrating thing is that there?s a lot of talented players in this squad, but without the proper equipment and the proper preparation we?re always going to stand still in terms of our development as a team.

?All the players feel that way and what it comes down to is the administration. I have always felt that the administration does not do enough to back the team and give us the conditions we need to perform at our best.

?They don?t seem to have the best interests of the team or Bermuda football at heart. This has got to change otherwise we are never going to go anywhere and we?re not going to do ourselves justice.

?So far we?ve been able to beat some of the lesser teams in the Caribbean, but when it comes down to playing better ones who we should be giving a good game and maybe beating, we fall a long way short.

?Haiti were here like a week and a half before to prepare for this and it really showed. They were a lot more organised than we were and were comfortable with each other and the system they were playing.

?We shouldn?t be flying in only two days before such an important game, especially because we know that delays are always possible.

?As it turned out, we arrived the night before the game and had only one very short training session on the Savannah.

?And then we are expected to go out there the next day and play as if we?ve been together for ten years. It?s not realistic.

?The administration of football has to be changed otherwise we are never going to get any further. What?s happening at the moment is a shame because some real talent is being wasted.?

Despite their frustrations, however, Ming insisted that the players were determined to make the best of a bad situation this evening in the second leg and will do their utmost to pull back the two-goal deficit.

?Everybody is up for the challenge,? he said.

?We played badly in the first leg and only lost 2-0, so it?s not like it?s four or five nil and we?re almost completely out of it. There?s still a chance.

?Haiti have not seen our best football yet by any means and if we can produce that on the night you never know