USA win Mandela Challenge

The only goal was scored in the first half by Steve Cherundolo.

During the opening period the US were the better side, creating more chances and looking solid in defence. Bafana, on the other hand, did not seem to be able to string more than a few passes together at a time.

In the second half it was a completely different Bafana - they attacked and played exciting football, but could not crack the US defence. The visitors, for their part, hardly attacked in the second half, content to defend their lead.

In the second minute Aaron Mokoena had his header cleared off the goalline from a corner.

Tim Howard then made a good save in the 19th minute, stopping a Nasief Morris close-range shot.

The Americans took the lead in the 26th minute when a long pass found Cherundolo on the right; he ran into the box and blasted a shot into the roof of the net from the angle.

Fernandez made a great diving save from a DaMarcus Beasley shot from the left in the 34th minute.

Just before the break Freddy Adu broke down the left and tried to curl his shot into the goal, but it went well wide.

The USA nearly got lucky in the 47th minute when a back header from Mokoena to Fernandez was almost intercepted by Clint Dempsey.

Teko Modise headed past the upright in the 52nd minute from a cross from the right when he should have done better and Morris hit his shot over the bar from a tight angle in the 56th minute.

A minute later Delron Buckley hit his left-foot shot past the post from outside the box and Macbeth Sibaya hammered a long-range shot past the upright in the 66th minute.

Benni McCarthy then had a chance, but his header lacked power and substitute keeper Brad Guzan made an easy save.

In the 73rd minute McCarthy went down in the area, but the referee did not award a penalty.

Modise hammered a long-range shot over the bar in the 79th minute as the game drew to a close, and the Americans defended well to claim the win.

South Africa: Fernandez, Mere, Mokoena, Morris, Katza (Tshabalala 71’), Pienaar, Sibaya, Modise, Buckley, Zuma, McCarthy

USA: Howard (Guzan 46’), Cherundolo (Spector 46’), Onyewu, Bocanegra (Califf 46’), Pearce, Edu, M. Bradley, Feilhaber (Bornstein 86’), Adu (Kljestan 74’), Beasley, Dempsey (Altidore 65’)