Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos was disappointed with his team’s performance in their 1-1 draw against Jamaica at the Hidalgo Stadium in Mexico on Saturday.
It was Bafana’s last preparation match ahead of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, and it provided Broos and his players with the final test to show that they are ready to kickstart the tournament when they face Mexico in the opening game at the Azteca Stadium on Thursday.
But according to Broos’ comments after the game, his players did not come to the party at all and mentioned that they need to work very hard and improve. Lyle Foster scored the goal for SA while Dwayne Atkinson registered Jamaica’s goal.
Broos said the team would continue to work very hard in the coming days as he was not pleased with what he saw on Saturday: “The performance was not what I expected. I think we have to analyse the game very well and see what was really wrong and try to make it better in the next few days so that we are ready for the first game against Mexico,” Broos told Safa media.
“I thought we were close (to getting to where he wants the team to be before the opening match), but again, it was, for me, a disappointing game this afternoon. So, yes, I have to look at what went wrong. I think it was also a matter of mentality. We have to do more, much more, than what we did this afternoon to have good results in the World Cup in the next few weeks,” Broos added.
Jamaica coach Rudolph Speid insisted that Bafana Bafana held back against his team and did not unleash the full power of their talents at Estadio Hidalgo.
“As it relates to South Africa, I think they were playing within themselves, though, because probably, you know, players don’t want to get injured and everybody wants to impress the coach,” he said.
“I didn’t think they were going for it as much as they could have. But playing against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium (in the opening match of the World Cup), there’s going to be 123,000 screaming Mexicans in there, I can tell you. They’ll probably overload it, they’re going to be pressing high up the pitch, especially in the first half. They’re going to be pressing very high in the first half, relentless pressing, but of course, the pressure will ease as the game goes along.”
- Bafana Bafana drew 1-1 with Jamaica in their final warm-up match before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with Lyle Foster scoring for South Africa and Dwayne Atkinson for Jamaica.
- Coach Hugo Broos expressed disappointment with the team's performance, citing mentality issues and the need for significant improvement before their opening match against Mexico.
- Broos emphasized analyzing the game to identify mistakes and urged the team to work harder to be ready for the World Cup kickoff.
- Jamaica coach Rudolph Speid believed South Africa held back during the match, likely to avoid injuries and to impress the coach cautiously.
- Speid predicted a tough match for South Africa against Mexico in the opening game, highlighting the intense home crowd support and Mexico’s expected high pressing.
