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BAFANA Bafana have ended 2009 with a goal-scoring crisis. Bafana were held to another 0-0 draw – this time by a second-string Jamaica – in their final international friendly of the year at a cold Free State Stadium last night.

The biggest losers were the 20 000-odd supporters, who braved the cold wintry conditions to support their team who turned in a below-average display.

It is now over six hours since Bafana last scored a goal and that was against minnows Madagascar in a friendly played in Kimberley in September.

Bafana head coach Carlos Alberto Parreira goes into the Festive Season international recess with a major headache – how to get his team to score goals and how to instil a sense of urgency into his players.

Urgency was one of the main ingredients Bafana lacked in front of their enthusiastic Bloemfontein fans last night.

But at the end of a cold night, Bafana’s performance was a huge disappointment given the quality of their opposition.

Parreira has seven months until the World soccer showpiece kicks off on South African soil to prepare his side, and, after last night’s showing, Parreira will have his work cut out to get this bunch of players anywhere near ready to take on the world’s best countries within seven short months.

Bafana showed plenty of fighting spirit when they drew 0-0 against highly rated Japan in Port Elizabeth last weekend, but failing to beat a make-shift Jamaica shows that Parreira will be earning all of his R1.6 million per month salary during the next seven months.

Jamaica were there for the taking in the first half, but Bafana could not capitalise on their visitors’ slow back four and sloppy passing.

Bafana were too casual, kept playing the ball sideways and backwards and wanted too many touches. Bafana also wanted to dribble and show off, and, as result they got nowhere in the opening 45 minutes.

Jamaica nearly shocked their hosts in the 23rd minute, but Bafana skipper Aaron Mokoena did brilliantly to rescue the situation when he managed to scoop Dane Richards’ shot off his goalline.

Bafana started off confidently when Siphiwe Tshabalala threaded the ball to Katlego Mphela, whose shot went wide after only two minutes.

Mphela should have scored in the 10th minute when he was set up by Benni McCarthy.

But instead of firing past goalkeeper Dwayne Muller, Mphela managed to direct the ball from close range straight at the grateful Jamaican keeper.

It was all Bafana at this stage. In the 23rd minute, the Bafana defence, except for Mokoena went walkabout, but the Bafana captain saved the day with a great stop on his goalline from a Richards shot that was heading for the back of the net.

At the other end in the 25th minute, Muller pulled off a stunning save from a powerful 25m free-kick from McCarthy that had goal written all over it.

McCarthy who struggled once again as he did against Japan in Port Elizabeth at the weekend, was wide of the target in the 35th minute. Unless he gets game time at club level he is not going to be an asset for the 2010 World Cup.

Jamaica’s only other goal- scoring attempt came from a free-kick from Demar Phillips that screamed over the crossbar five minutes from the break.

Bafana were frustrated again after the break and despite having territorial advantage, lacked penetration in front of goals.

Bafana came close to breaking the deadlock, when a volley by Kagisho Dikgacoi flew centimetres over the Jamaican crossbar on 67 minutes.

The match fizzled out after the Fulham midfielder’s tremendous volley, and, at the end of the night, Bafana sent their loyal fans home disappointed.

And, for Parreira, his first two matches in charge produced more questions than answers. — Sapa