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Bafana Bafana were on Tuesday night (17 November) held to a goalless draw by Jamaica in an international friendly match. The clash was played at the Free State Stadium in Bloemfontein. This was South Africa's second match in three days. On Saturday (14 November) Bafana Bafana played another goalless draw against Japan in Port Elizabeth.

“Yes this was our second match in three days, it was important for us to get a win to bring back the confidence of the players but it did not happen. I was happy with the first half where we had more chances to score and it showed a lot of improvement from the match against Japan,” said Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Parreira.

The Brazilian was also not happy with the delaying tactics of the opposition.

“They did not come here to win, they came for a draw and it did not really help us much in what we are trying to achieve, maybe we should bring the likes of Germany for matches here. I was disappointed by the second half – there was no football, no game at all. It was irritating tactics from the Jamaicans who made too many changes to stop our rhythm – in fact only about fifteen minutes of football was played in the second half,” said Parreira.

Asked if he has learnt anything in the last two matches since his return, the coach was adamant that all is not lost, adding that with more time and patience, the team can get into shape and be able to deliver. “I see the light at the end of the tunnel – actually I saw that during the Confederations Cup especially when we played the likes of Spain and Brazil, I saw that when I talked to my staff and when the players come into camp. But we need to improve on our finishing and encourage the midfielders to get more into the box and create scoring opportunities. Also we need to work on the ball the possession which is our strength – and we will become a better team if we do so,” he said.

The coach of Jamaica, Theodore Whitfield, insisted that his team did not come here for a draw.

“In my view, this was a fair result. We came here for a win but could not beat South Africa. No one can guarantee victory so I am happy with a draw,” said Whitfield.

The match against Jamaica was the last for the year for Bafana Bafana. They will take a deserved long break before they return in January for a proposed training camp in South Africa. More details about the camp will released at a later stage.