Minister Foggo with Nahki Wells

Bermuda’s “outstanding and historic performance” in the Concacaf Gold Cup will be the focal point of celebratory plans by the Ministry of Sports for a motorcade to commemorate the islands 2-0 victory over Nicaragua.

Minister Lovitta Foggo confirmed that the Department of Youth, Sport and Recreation will join in to organise the upcoming event.

Ms Foggo, who travelled to New Jersey to witness history in the making firsthand, said she was “absolutely blown away” by the team’s performance.

“Our Gombey Warriors demonstrated their skill and talent for the world to see and it was an amazing sight to watch,” she said.

“The atmosphere and energy in the arena was exciting and their win was something I believed they had the capacity to do — and they absolutely delivered.

“We celebrated Bermudian excellence last night and this is proof positive that Bermuda continues to punch above its weight on the global stage.

“We are so proud of our national team’s achievement and look forward to continuing to support them in their upcoming matches.

“In the coming days, we will be celebrating our team’s victory with a motorcade and we encourage all of Bermuda to come out along the route to cheer on our championship team.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister Zane DeSilva announced that Island Construction will give the Bermuda Football Association $50,000 to commemorate the team’s historic accomplishment.

Speaking at the after party held to celebrate the team’s victory in Harrison, New Jersey, the crowd broke out into loud cheers on hearing the announcement.

“You guys were pretty to watch and let me tell you how pretty you were I spoke to your coach and he said it’s okay for me to donate, and I checked my son on his inheritance he said I can give you guys $50,000 for the team,” said Mr DeSilva.

Minister Foggo with Osagi Bascome

After the announcement, Mr DeSilva noted that the donation was made in his personal capacity after Bermuda’s Gombey Warriors did “really, really well”.

“I personally appreciate the work the players and personnel have put in. What they have done is really extraordinary,” he said.

He also said he hopes it shows that hard work is valued and that the community supports the island’s young Bermudians. It will also assist the team as they continue their journey, he added.

One Bermuda Alliance MP, Ben Smith added his voice to the congratulatory accolades.

In a statement released last night, Mr Smith said: Sport is a great vehicle for bringing a country together and this football team has highlighted the best of Bermuda.

“Seeing our young men using their talent to work together on the field for a common goal can only make you proud. It was exciting to watch them before they left and to see the growth each step of the tournament. Our new colors stand out on the field but our team stood out even more. Let’s continue to support them now so that this is just the beginning of what they can achieve.”

Coach Kyle Lightbourne said he was more than pleased with the end result, which placed Bermuda third in group B behind Costa Rica and Haiti.

Lejuan Simmons scored the opening goal in the 60th minute. Nahki Wells doubled the score in the 71st minute to seal Bermuda’s 2-0 maiden victory.

Congratulations for making history!