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Parreira will be counting on Benni

Parreira will be counting on Benni

Clockwatch: Bafana v Jamaica

SCORE CENTRE:

Bafana 0 Jamaica 0

Bafana can't find the back of the net despite some great support in Bloem and constant forward-thinking instructions from Parreira.

Full time:

22:26: Henyekane suffers a knock to his head and is replaced by Daine Klate. Bafana are desperately trying to get that ellusive goal.

22:23: The final ball is just not working out for the 'new look' Bafana Bafana, who still have the problems of old.

22:19: Bafana win a free kick, which van Heerden takes but his delivery is too robust for Mokoena to connect with on the far post.

22:15: Bernard Parker has come on for Shabba. The FC Twente man is a sign that Parreira wants his charges to go all-out attack.

22:10: I'm sure I just saw a few people sneaking out there and you can't really blame them. The exit of McCarthy and Modise isn't well received by the crowd and the occasional vuvezela is the only reminder that there are supposed to be 28,000 supporters here.

22:06: Jamaica win a corner and Axe puts in another vital block. The Reggae Boyz are starting to look very dangerous - especially out wide.

22:00: Dikgacoi lets fly from the edge of the area and sees his shot narrowly miss the upright. McCarthy makes way for Richard Henyekane, whose pace should be handy. Modise is replaced by Elrio van Heerden.

21:58: Richards skills Thwala, before firing a dangerous ball into the box, which Gould deflects for a corner. There are some worried faces in the crowd as Bafana continue to struggle. The songs are still loud and proud behind Rowen Fernandez's goal but it's nothing to do with events on the pitch. Parreira is back in his seat now - even he looks like he's had enough.

21:56: Thwala has put through some of the cleverest passes tonight. Bafana win two free kicks in succession, which are both wasted.

21:52: Mphela takes a shot at goal from an angle and sees his effort fly across goal - just too far for McCarthy to reach. Benni seems peeved that his strike partner didn't look to pass to him rather. Moments later, the Blackburn man showed his class by knocking a high ball past Thomas, who then blocked his run. Bafana win a free-kick, but Shabba's delivery is over the bar.

21:46: Jamaica start putting some passes together and Yeye is harshly yellow carded.

21:43: Mokoena rises to meet a corner, but his header flies over the bar. He should have done better with that effort.

21:40: Lance Davids ia handed a run out by Parreira, who's obviously a bit wary of Jamaica's counters. Ngongca gives way.

Half time

21:21: Modise takes a free kick, but sends it straight into the hands of the keeper. Bafana are again lacking the bite needed to find the back of the net.

21:16: Phillips whips a wicked free kick in, but it flies over Fernandez, who anticpated the ball to fall a lot closer to the woodwork. Bafana have been warned that Jamaica are no mugs in front of the sticks.

21:14: McCarthy finds himself unmarked and on the end of a great free kick, his effort goes across goal instead of inside it and he is flagged offside again, although at first glance, he looked in line with the last defender.

21:12: Campbell-Ryce and Johnson try to create an opening for the Reggae Boyz, but Fernandez gathers the ball easily.

21:11: A great ball from Thwala finds McCarthy, who finds the side netting with a first-time shot, but is flagged offside again.

21:09: McCarthy is flagged offside despite not interfering with play as Mphela looked odds on to beat the Jamaican keeper for a high ball.

21:01: McCarthy takes a robust free kick which Miller pushes out for a corner. Bafana are wasting their corners yet again.

21:00: Mokoena makes a goal-line clearance after a fine run from Richards, who rolls the ball past Fernandez. After all the criticism he receives, Axe did expertly there to prevent the opening goal.

20:57: Demar Phillips gives Fernandez his first piece of action in the Bafana goal and the stopper deals with the cross well. Mphela then sees his shot deflected for a corner, but Bafana fail to penetrate from the set-piece.

20:52: The Reggae Boyz try to string together some passes, but Bafana look determined to find the back of the net and a victory. Mphela does well to keep a long ball in on the right byline, and his cross into the box is cleared for a corner. Shabba takes a short corner, which eventually comes back to him, but his curling cross/shot is disappointing.

20:47: McCarthy and Mphela combine beautifully, with the latter receiving a peach of a pass from the nation's top scorer. Mphela fails to beat the keeper, but wins a corner.

20:44: Shabba has a slight cut that needs to be attended to, while Jamaica fail to threathen with a free kick.

20:41: Modise does well down the right and tries to find McCarthy in the box. The striker's marker gets in the way, but Bafana are bossing possession.

20:38: Tshabalala slides a through ball to the feet of Mphela, who is put off by his marker as he goes for goal. Good, positive start.

Jamaica gets the match underway as Bafana look to end 2009 on a high in their last match of the year.

Kick Off:

The teams:

Bafana: Rowen Fernandez; Anele Ngongca, Morgan Gould, Aaron Mokoena, Lucas Thwala; Kagiso Dikgacoi, Reneilwe Letsholonyane, Siphiwe Tshabalala, Teko Modise; Katlego Mphela, Benni McCarthy

Jamaica: Dwayne Miller; Shavar Thomas, Jermaine Taylor, Dicoy Williams Devon Williams; Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Jason Morrison, Demar Phillips, Rodolph Austin; Jermaine Johnson, Dane Richards.

Pre-match news:

Lucas Thwala, who replaces the injured Tsepo Masilela insists he will have no problems playing left back despite featuring in the centre of defence for his club.

Rowen Fernandez, who dons the No 1 jersey tonight, is keen on making it his own ahead of the World Cup.

Injured defender Matthew Booth believes the Bloemfontein crowd will spur Bafana to victory against Jamaica, who are without key players Ricardo Fuller, Ricardo Gardner, Marlon King and Luton Shelton.

The teams are out on the pitch looking snug in their training tops. With the wind swirling around the Vodacom Stadium, most of the press guys would love to have something warm on. The venue might only be a tenth full at the moment, but singing has already started from the passionate Free State fans.

In a surprise move, Reneilwe Letsholonyane replaces MacBeth Sibaya as Bafana's holding midfielder.

The atmosphere is hotting up even if the temperature isn't. The stadium is still barely a third full though. The red carpets are being rolled out for the anthems - let's hope they make it better than what the Springboks endured in Toulouse last week.

No problems with the anthem this time - they played a recorded version through the loudspeakers! A stirring rendition nonetheless and the atmosphere is electric as the dignitaries meet the two sides. A serious lack of substitutes and training tops for the Jamaica squad, with Bafana Bafana looking smart by contrast in their yellow tracksuits. We're ready for the off.

Posted: 17/11/09 17:36

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