Bafana Bafana held to 1-1 draw by Jamaica in final pre-World Cup warm-up

South Africa and Jamaica played to a 1-1 draw in Pachuca, Mexico, in Bafana Bafana’s final warm-up match ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026 later this week.

The match against the Reggae Boyz was a hastily arranged fixture but crucial to Bafana Bafana’s final phase of preparation for the global spectacle. The only other warm-up match for the World Cup group was an uninspiring goalless draw against Nicaragua before the team’s departure for Mexico.

The result against Jamaica, a nation ranked 71st in the world, would not have instilled the confidence the team was seeking after four matches without a win. Lyle Foster opened Bafana’s account in the first half after Jamaica’s goalkeeper casually handed Bafana possession. A mad scramble in South Africa’s in-goal area allowed Dwayne Atkinson to equalise in the second half.

Now Mexico awaits in the World Cup opener in Mexico City on Thursday. The co-hosts are on an eight-match unbeaten streak, with six wins and two draws and a recent 5-1 thumping of Serbia, ranked 42nd in the world.