A double from Katlego Mphela led South Africa to a 3-0 win over Burkina Faso in an international friendly at Ellis Park on Wednesday.
Mphela powered in a 14th-minute free kick for the lead for the in-form Bafana Bafana. Stand-in captain Siphiwe Tshabala doubled the home team's advantage five minutes later with a low shot, before Mphela beat Burkina Faso goalkeeper Germain Sanou again early in the second half to cap a convincing win.
South Africa is now unbeaten in its last five games under coach Pitso Mosimane and has lost just one of nine since Mosimane took over from Brazilian Carlos Alberto Parreira after last year's World Cup.
Victory in Johannesburg gave the South Africans a timely boost ahead of their next African Cup of Nations qualifier, a trip to Niger early next month.
''We played a good game,'' Mosimane said. ''In the first half we showed the class, we were superior tactically and superior on the ball. (It was) good football, we played well. All the departments were good.''
Without injured captain Steven Pienaar, Mosimane gave first starts to new Ajax midfielder Thulani Serero and Belgium-based player Daylon Claasen. Burkina Faso was without a number of regulars, including Marseille midfielder Charles Kabore.
Mphela's free kick from 30 yards flew past Sanou for an early lead for South Africa. Tshabala hit his left-foot effort into the far corner soon after for his first international goal since he scored the tournament opener at the 2010 World Cup.
Mphela rounded off a strong performance when he was set up by a through ball from Serero and finished past Sanou.
South Africa leads Group G in African Cup of Nations qualifying ahead of the penultimate round of matches in early September.
Despite Wednesday's defeat, Burkina Faso tops Group F with three wins from three and is on the verge of qualifying for next year's African championship in Gabon and Equatorial Guinea.
