Germany 2 - 0 South Africa

Gomez and Ozil do damage as German ease to win

Updated: September 5, 2009, 10:33 PM UK

Goals from Mario Gomez and Mesut Ozil gave Germany a comfortable win over World Cup 2010 hosts South Africa in tonight's friendly in Leverkusen. Gomez struck in the 36th minute and Ozil 13 minutes from time - just reward for a dominant performance from the hosts.

The early stages were lacklustre, save for a shot in the 10th minute from Bastian Schweinsteiger which went wide and a similar effort soon afterwards from South Africa's Kagisho Dikgacoi - safely caught by Rene Adler.

Ozil's 30-yard free-kick was easily saved by Rowen Fernandez. Then just before the half-hour, it was South Africa's turn to threaten again - Siboniso Gaxa's left-footed effort from 20 yards drifting wide.

Gomez tested Fernandez with a fiercely-struck right-footed shot from similar distance in the 32nd minute, kept out at the expense of a corner which came to nothing. Two minutes later, Katlego Mphela's speculative free-kick from 35 yards cleared the bar.

But striker Gomez made no mistake soon afterwards, with a close-range finish past Fernandez after he had been picked out by Michael Ballack's pass from the left.

There was time before the break for Steven Pienaar to have a free-kick easily saved by Adler and then Marcel Schafer's 20-yard right-footer to be blocked by defender Siboniso Gaxa.

A cagey opening to the second half had its first notable incident when Schweinsteiger's shot was blocked by Morgan Gould in the 53rd minute. Five minutes later, Schweinsteiger tried again from closer range. But Gould was again in the right place for a timely clearance.

Tsepo Masilela kept Simon Rolfes' left-footed effort at bay but in the 65th minute, as Germany began to hunt a second with more intent, the Africans needed the post to keep a Ballack header on the end of Ozil's corner.

South Africa were not done with, and Katlego Mphela's 66th-minute shot from inside the area brought an outstanding save from Adler. Everton midfielder Pienaar was soon trying his luck too, but Heiko Westermann blocked his shot from 12 yards. Ozil gave South Africa a warning with a snap-shot caught by Fernandez.

But the visiting goalkeeper could do nothing about the midfielder's next attempt, a right-footed shot which beat him from inside the penalty area following a telling pass from Miroslav Klose Pienaar responded with a free-kick on to the head of Dikgacoi, who planted his effort over the bar.

After debutant Sami Khedira's foul on Siphiwe Tshabalala in the 82nd minute, Dikgacoi's free-kick from a dangerous position hit the wall. Three minutes from time, Khedira drilled a right-footer from 30 yards out which flew wide to the left.

Adler had to be alert again just before the final whistle to keep Germany's lead intact when Richard Henyekane got on the end of a cross from Gaxa but saw his attempt from six yards out tipped round the post.

But it was Joachim Low's men who finished the strongest, Khedira missing with a long-range effort and Piotr Trochowski also trying his luck in stoppage-time, only to have his shot blocked by Dikgacoi.