Bafana Bafana News Today: South Africa’s secret weapon against Mexico revealed & more

Latest news about Bafana Bafana including the player who could give inside information about Mexico and what Jamaica’s coach thinks about South Africa.

Bafana’s secret weapon against Mexico?

Bafana Bafana defender Olwethu Makhanya feels the fact that he plays in the MLS and has come up against Mexican teams can be helpful for Hugo Broos’ men at the 2026 World Cup.

“Playing in the MLS (Major League Soccer in America) gives me an opportunity to compete with Mexican teams in Concacaf,” Makhanya said as per KickOff.

“I know a lot about what to expect from the fans and the teams. They fight for everything. They are not the biggest but they compete to the last whistle. And they play mental games to get in your head.

“If we can stay focused mentally, we should be fine. This (Bafana) team has all the qualities to go out there and win.”

Jamaica coach expects more from SA against Mexico

Jamaica coach Rudolph Speid feels Bafana Bafana held back against his team and did not unleash the full power during their friendly match that ended 1-1 on Saturday night.

“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,” he said as per SAFA.

“I didn’t think they were going for it as much as they could have. But playing against Mexico in the Azteca Stadium (in the opening match of the World Cup), 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.”