MIAMI, (AP):

Just eight months after the 2014 World Cup final in Brazil, The Bahamas will play Bermuda in March in one of seven pairings, as qualifying starts for the 2018 tournament in Russia.

The governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean held the first draw on Thursday night. The other first-round pairings are Barbados vs US Virgin Islands; Belize vs Cayman Islands; British Virgin Islands vs Dominica; Curacao vs Montserrat; Turks & Caicos Islands vs St Kitts & Nevis; and Nicaragua vs Anguilla.

Seeking its first World Cup berth since 1986, Canada opens at home against the British Virgin Islands or Dominica in the second round from June 6-16, when Cuba faces Curacao or Montserrat, Guatemala plays The Bahamas or Bermuda, Puerto Rico meets Grenada, and El Salvador plays the Turks and Caicos Islands vs St Kitts & Nevis winner.

Jamaica and Haiti have byes until the third round from August 21 to September 8, and the United States joins for the start of the semi-finals in November, along with Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago.