Reuters LONDON: An early goal by striker Emad Moteab handed African champions Egypt a 1-0 win over World Cup 2010 hosts South Africa in a friendly in London on Wednesday. Fresh from a prominent role in his club Al-Ahli s African Champions League final win last weekend, Moteab fired home after three minutes to decide the winners of the Nelson Mandela Cup. He raced through the defense to latch on to a pinpoint chip from his club colleague Mohamed Aboutrika, whose probing passes kept South Africa on the back foot for much of the first half. Moteab came close to a second just after the quarter-hour mark with an innovative effort from close range as he tried to latch on to a high cross from Tottenham Hotspur s Hossam Ghali. A double save by South Africa goalkeeper Rowen Fernandez kept out a rasping short from Amr Zaki and a quick follow-up from Moteab in the 23rd minute. South Africa looked stronger after the break but, despite lots of possession, rarely tested Egypt keeper Essam Al Hadari at the Griffin Park home of third division club Brentford. Sibusiso Zuma slammed a free kick into the wall from the edge of the area early in the second half and Captain Aaron Mokoena missed a chance at the near post from a set piece. The victory ended South Africa s run of seven games without conceding a goal. We needed to win the match after losing a couple of friendlies since our Nations Cup win in January, said Egypt coach Hassan Shehata, whose key striker Mido missed the match with a knee injury. We are now building a new team and we need games like this to develop new players, he added. Wednesday s friendly, watched by a crowd estimated at only 2,000, was overshadowed by a threat from both teams to pull out in a wrangle with organizers over their match fee and the poor standard of their accommodation in the British capital. They resolved to play only after meeting the London-based organizers on Wednesday morning.
