Thursday Jun 04, 2026. 17:00
South Africa will wrap up their 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations with a high-stakes friendly against Jamaica on Friday in Pachuca, Mexico.
Kick-off is scheduled for 14:00 CAT.
Buoyed by their return to the global stage after a long absence, Hugo Broos’ men are determined to end a frustrating winless streak and carry strong momentum into their tournament opener against hosts Mexico.
Bafana Bafana have drawn two and lost two of their last four matches, and this final warm-up represents a crucial opportunity to restore confidence, fine-tune tactics, and build belief ahead of the World Cup.
With the Belgian coach finalising his strongest XI, the squad has been hit by the precautionary absence of Aubrey Modiba.
That vacancy hands valuable minutes to emerging options Samukele Kabini and Bradley Cross, who will be eager to impress and push their way into the starting lineup for Mexico.
Jamaica, currently ranked 71st in the world, arrive in Mexico reeling from a 3-0 defeat to Nigeria in the Unity Cup final and still smarting from their failure to qualify for the 2026 tournament.
The Reggae Boyz have managed just one win in their last three outings and continue to show inconsistency.
Interim coach Rudolph Speid has deliberately fielded a youthful, experimental squad, resting several star Europe-based players including Leon Bailey and Demarai Gray after a demanding club season.
The focus is clearly on managing fatigue while giving new talent a platform to shine against quality African opposition.
This will be only the sixth meeting between the two nations. South Africa remain unbeaten in the fixture, with one win and four draws.
Their lone victory came in a convincing 2-0 friendly win over Jamaica in Germany in April 2010.