The Cayman Islands men’s national football team suffered a tough loss in their match against Bermuda in the 2026 FIFA World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers.
It was a difficult outing for the Cayman squad as they were defeated 5-0 at the Dame Flora Duffy National Sports Centre on 4 June, in their second game of round two in Group A.
The result significantly reduces Cayman’s hopes of advancing in the qualification process.
Bermuda, known as the ‘Gombey Warriors’, started strongly, delighting their home crowd by taking an early lead. Zeiko Lewis converted a penalty in the 12th minute, setting the tone for the match.
Despite some anxious moments in the first half where the Cayman Islands looked to counterattack, Bermuda held firm.
The second half saw Bermuda extend their advantage decisively with goals scored in the 54th, 64th, 79th and 85th minute, securing a convincing victory for the home side.
Lachlin Lambert, Cayman’s goalkeeper, was kept busy throughout the match, making several saves to deny Bermuda further goals. The team, under the guidance of acting head coach Colin ‘Dougie’ Rowe, battled throughout but ultimately struggled to contain Bermuda’s powerful offence.
The Cayman Islands’ starting 11 for the match were Lachlin Lambert, Jah Dain Alexander, Cameron Gray, D’Andre Rowe, Jabari Campbell, Jordan Bonilla, Sebastian Martinez, Elijah Seymour, Zachary Scott, Christopher Reeves and Mason Duval.
Fresh legs joined the action after halftime, with Matthew Suberan, Joshwa Campbell, Dimetri Douglas and Tyler Beckford entering the game as substitutes.
This result leaves the Cayman Islands with an uphill battle in Group A, which also includes football powerhouses Honduras and Cuba.
Cayman achieved a historical 1-0 win against Antigua and Barbuda last year for their first Pool A qualifier match of Round 2.
Their next crucial fixture will be at home against Honduras on 7 June at the Truman Bodden Sports Complex.
While the road to the 2026 World Cup is now steeper for Cayman, the team will undoubtedly be looking to learn from this experience and demonstrate their resilience in upcoming matches.
