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In Bermuda’s opening contest of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in Antigua on June 5, it trailed Antigua and Barbuda 1-0 for most of the game. Bermuda had been playing well, but still trailed late.

In the 84th minute, head coach Michael Findlay looked down his bench and called on 18-year-old Sachiel Ming to enter the game. Ming made an instant impact.

While playing the center midfield position Ming led Bermuda on an offensive push in the 90th minute. Teammate Kane Crichlow sprinted to a loose ball jutting toward the left corner of the six-yard box and served it inside. Ming darted in from the top of the 18-yard box, stuck his foot out to settle the ball and slotted it past an Antigua and Barbuda defender for the equalizer.

“Coach (Findlay) asked him to do a job and make a difference in the game, and that’s exactly what he did,” Bermuda defender Caleb McDowall said of Ming. “That’s the best way you could start off your career playing for the team.”

Ming’s game-tying goal helped Bermuda earn a point in the qualifiers. Before his freshman season at Syracuse, Ming spent parts of March and June with the Bermuda Senior Men’s National Team after getting called up from its U-20 team. With a limited role through Syracuse’s four regular-season games thus far, he’s used his early international experience to contribute offensively, adding an assist in its win over Niagara on August 25.

“I like his appetite for the game,” Findlay said of Ming. “He doesn’t look out of place anytime he’s played.”

Sachiel Ming has impressed with Syracuse so far, providing the Orange with skill and pace on the wing. Henry Zhang | Contributing Photographer

In Bermuda, many kids dreamed of moving overseas to play soccer and receive a stronger education, Ming said. When Ming was in grade school, his older brother, Ahria Simons, moved to The Berkshire School in Sheffield, Massachusetts, before playing collegiately at Dartmouth and Northeastern.

“I wanted to follow in his footsteps in a way, but not follow his footsteps exactly,” Ming said of his brother. “I always wanted to take soccer more seriously (than Simons), but I wanted to use my soccer skills to get a better education than I would back home.”

Similar to Simons, Ming decided to attend school in the United States at the Northwood School in Lake Placid, New York. Ming committed to Syracuse amid his senior season in 2023, where he led Northwood to the Prep Premier League Championship game.

At the end of his senior season, he was named an All-American. At the High School Soccer All-American Game in Charleston, South Carolina, on Dec. 9, 2023, Ming scored and took home the East Team’s Most Valuable Player.

In February, Ming played with the Bermuda U-20 National Team in the CONCACAF U-20 Championship Qualifiers. Findlay was looking at the younger levels within Bermuda’s soccer programs when he noticed Ming, who scored in a 2-1 win over Grenada.

“After his performances at the U-20 … he ticked a lot of the boxes and we began at that time to integrate him into our program,” Findlay said.

Shortly after returning home from U-20 competition, Ming received the news that he was invited to play on the Bermuda Senior National Team in March. He joined a group of five U-20 players on the senior team for the FIFA Series in Saudi Arabia.

In friendlies against Guinea and Brunei, Ming got his first exposure to international competition. He learned from the seniors who carried professional experience while also approaching coaches for advice.

Ayush Sawant | Design Editor

A few months later, Ming was called up again for Bermuda’s World Cup Qualifiers in June. The players met for a short camp in Bermuda before leaving for Antigua and Barbuda for their first game.

In the opener, Ming’s goal was the difference in allowing Bermuda to lock up a tie. Findlay knew putting in Ming late in the game gave Bermuda an advantage due to his youth, and Antigua and Barbuda likely didn’t have much information on him.

“That was a massive moment for him because not everybody gets an opportunity to represent their country, but score in a full International World Cup qualifying game within CONCACAF,” Findlay said.

Ming’s family was watching back home in Bermuda. After Ming’s goal, his father, Sheridan ‘Bally’ Ming, went outside to tell the neighbors that his son scored. Throughout his experiences in Saudi Arabia and Antigua, Ming appreciated basking in the different cultures and lifestyle differences around the world.

After his freshman year with the Orange, Ming looks to join Bermuda again next summer for additional World Cup Qualifiers. Findlay believes Ming will serve a major role for the Bermuda National Team in the future.

“He has attacking abilities and qualities that the game is demanding as it relates to the way some teams would set up,” Findlay said.

Published on September 3, 2024 at 11:54 pm

Contact Timmy at: tswilcox@syr.edu | @TimmyWilcox32