The match, scheduled for the early hours of Tuesday morning, offers South Africa a chance to bounce back after a disappointing 3-0 defeat in Montego Bay last Saturday.

The Reggae Girlz proved formidable hosts in the first encounter, exploiting South Africa’s challenges, including a gruelling travel schedule earlier in the week and the absence of several key players due to overseas club commitments. 

These factors compounded the difficulty for the African champions, who are navigating a transitional phase while juggling preparations for next year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

Despite the setback, Ellis remains focused on refining her team’s approach, stressing the importance of converting chances. “We had a great video analysis session with the players, and we know that going into the second match, we will have to be aggressive upfront,” said Ellis.

“We are good at creating chances and staying compact at the back, but it will be crucial to make use of our opportunities.”

The coach also highlighted the broader goals of these friendlies, which include integrating new talent into the squad.

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— Banyana_Banyana (@Banyana_Banyana) November 30, 2024

“One of the main reasons for these matches was to see new players. We will continue to give as many players as possible a chance to play, but this is also dictated by the match itself,” she added.

The friendlies against Jamaica are part of South Africa’s preparation for WAFCON 2024, where they aim to defend their title as African champions. While the immediate focus is on improving their performance on Tuesday Ellis is also keeping an eye on the bigger picture, using these matches as opportunities to fine-tune tactics and assess squad depth.

This match between Jamaica and South Africa at the Catherine Hall Stadium in Montego Bay kicks off at 2:30 on Tuesday morning (3/12).

OFM Sport/Morgan Piek cg