Bafana Bafana coach Hugo Broos has made a concerning admission that his side is not yet where he wants, just a few days before they open their 2026 FIFA World Cup campaign.
Lyle Foster was on target as South Africa drew 1-1 with Jamaica in an international friendly match at Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca, on Saturday. The match was played behind closed doors.
Following the draw, Bafana Bafana are now winless in their last five outings—a worrying slump they will desperately hope does not dent team morale ahead of Thursday’s daunting World Cup opener against Mexico.
Broos’ men are set to step into the intimidating cauldron of the Estadio Azteca, where a passionate and hostile home crowd awaits. Heading into this high-stakes confrontation, South Africa’s unconvincing form remains a major talking point. Saturday’s stalemate in Mexico came just days after a frustrating 0-0 draw on home soil against 131 FIFA-ranked Nicaragua.
Prior to that, Bafana suffered a 2-1 defeat and a 1-1 draw against Panama, with the winless cycle originally triggering back to their 2-1 AFCON Round of 16 elimination by Cameroon.
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Broos conceded that the match against the Reggae Boyz was “disappointing,” noting that his players’ execution on the pitch was far from what he had anticipated. What will likely concern Bafana fans most is the veteran tactician’s admission that his side still has a mountain to climb, with just days remaining before they face co-hosts Mexico.
The 2017 AFCON winner has also admitted that he was wrong in his impression that they were closer to the level he intended to see his men.
“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,” said Broos.
“I thought we were close [to where I want the team to be before the opening match], but again, it was, for me, a disappointing game against Jamaica. 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.”
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Meanwhile, Jamaica coach Rudolph Speid says Bafana were not in the game on Saturday, suggesting it might have been because players were too cautious, fearing injuries just before the Mexico tie. Speid is quick to remind Broos and his players about what awaits them on Thursday.
“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,” Speid said.
“I didn’t think they were going for it as much as they could have. But playing against Mexico at the Azteca Stadium, 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.”
While Bafana were struggling against Nicaragua and 71st-ranked Jamaica, Mexico were making statements of intent in their friendly games. They hammered Serbia 5-1 on Friday, and before that, they beat Ghana 2-0 and edged Australia 1-0.
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