Atkinson Rescues Jamaica With Debut Goal

Reggae Boyz snatch last-gasp draw against Bafana Bafana in ghost friendly

Dwayne Atkinson’s stoppage time strike earned a credible 1-1 stalemate for Jamaica against World Cup hopefuls South Africa in a friendly on Saturday.

The 24-year-old Rhode Island FC hot-shot’s inaugural international goal cancelled out the first-half opener from Burnley forward Lyle Foster, to subject more pain on South Africa’s Bafana Bafana ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

It had always been a cloak and dagger scenario for this behind closed doors friendly in Mexico, which was largely kept hush-hush from Jamaica fans.

To add to the drama, the game was switched from Friday to Saturday because of visa issues that delayed the South Africa squad’s arrival by a day.

With no media or supporters allowed to watch Bafana Bafana’s World Cup warm-up, the hastily arranged contest inside the Estadio Hidalgo in Pachuca was meant to present the makeshift Boyz as cannon fodder.

It all seemed to be going to script for South Africa when their talisman striker Foster scored. Finding the back of the net should have wiped out his recent disappointment of hitting the post with his penalty during their 0-0 friendly against Nicaragua.

Managerless Jamaica, specialists at snatching stoppage time goals having grabbed four last-gasp strikes last year, equalised on 93 minutes courtesy of US-based Atkinson to burst Bafana Bafana’s bubble.

The Boyz, who twice missed out on qualifying for the World Cup finals, made significant changes to their squad that tackled the 2026 Unity Cup in London. Interim head coach Rudolph Speid was once again at the helm.

Although Jamaica beat minnows India 2-0 in the Unity Cup semi-finals, they were demolished 3-0 by Nigeria on 30 May. So going toe-to-toe with Bafana Bafana and bagging a draw should have giving many of the Boyz some much-needed self-assurance.

In stark contrast Bafana Bafana boss Hugo Broos has been left pondering his tactics for this week’s FIFA World Cup curtain-raiser against co-hosts Mexico.

South Africa are now on a five-match winless run, having last registered a victory against Zimbabwe at AFCON 2025. They bowed out of AFCON 2025 to Cameroon in the last 16. March’s back-to-back friendlies against Panama, held 1-1 in Durban and beaten 2-1 in Cape Town, did not go to plan.

Before jetting off to Mexico to acclimatise to the high altitude, toothless Bafana Bafana outplayed Nicaragua but settled for a scoreless stalemate in in Johannesburg.

Yet their failure to beat what was effectively Jamaica’s reserves leaves massive question marks about South Africa’s ability to win any of their World Cup group games against Mexico, Czechia and South Korea.

Footage of their friendly against Jamaica appeared online. Some videos were swiftly removed with only one clip remaining, which offers Bafana Bafana’s opponents limited insight into Broos’ tactics and set-up.

Broos, who allegedly wanted the friendly against Jamaica to be secretive to prevent his squad being analysed, admitted: “The performance was not what I expected.

“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.” 

Mexico are on top of their game despite some injury worries to key players. El Tri demolished Serbia 5-1 last Friday, having defeated both Australia and Ghana without conceding a goal last month.

Speid explained about the South Africa players who tackled Jamaica: “I think they were playing within themselves, because probably players don’t want to get injured and everybody wants to impress the coach.

“I didn’t think they were going for it as much as they could have. But playing against Mexico, they’ll probably overload it, they’re going to be pressing high up the pitch.

“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.”

Speid did his chances of landing the permanent role of head coach with the Boyz the world of good with this result against Bafana Bafana.

Yet the Jamaica Football Federation advertised the job again, maybe in the vain hope that one of the head coaches who flops at the World Cup applies.

Broos may be aged 74, but the adage of “Football is a funny old game” could result in the Belgium tactician considering Jamaica as his parting shot as a coach.

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