Bafana Bafana head coach Hugo Broos was disappointed with his side’s performance in the 1-1 draw against Jamaica, in a friendly on Saturday evening, saying they will need to be better before the opening match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
The friendly with Jamaica was Bafana’s last preparatory match before they meet co-hosts of the global showpiece Mexico in the opening match of the tournament in Mexico City in four days. Lyle Foster scored for South Africa in the game which was played behind closed doors, while Dwayne Atkins scored for the Reggae Boys.
Meanwhile Bafana will also face South Korea and Czechia in Group A as they will attempt to get out of the group for the very first time.
Broos said he didn’t expect the performance he saw but will work with his players to address some of the challenges before Thursday.
“The performance was not what I expected,” Broos told Safa.com.
“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.
“I thought we were close [to getting to where I want the team], 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.”