Ajax 1 - 1 Manutd

Forgotton man Bebe rescued Manchester United - and new £12million signing Shinji Kagawa - with an injury-time equaliser in Cape Town.

 
The much-maligned Portuguese winger was making his first appearance since an FA Cup outing against Crawley Town 17 months ago, although many supporters may have been surprised to see him in a United shirt again after a disappointing start at Old Trafford was followed by an even less successful spell on loan at Besiktas that was cut short by a serious knee injury and disciplinary problems.
His £7.2m move from Guimares two years ago is still the subject of an ongoing police investigation into corruption in Portuguese football.
 

But after Ajax substitute Alcardo van Graan had put the hosts in sight of a famous victory with his first touch in the 87th minute, Bebe struck deep into stoppage time to ensure United leave South Africa unbeaten.
The most relieved man must have been Kagawa who had wasted United's best chance up to that point, as well as the opportunity to mark his full debut with a goal.
The Japan midfielder was presented with a free header on the edge of the six-yard box when Javier Hernandez picked him out with an inswinging cross from the left after 61 minutes, but Kagawa steered his effort inches wide of the post. No wonder he wore a look of anguish as Hernandez held his head in his hands.
Otherwise, he could be satisfied with his first start for United after a brief appearance in Durban on Wednesday, playing for 77 minutes before he was replaced by Dimitar Berbatov. Kagawa impressed after a quiet opening, growing in confidence and exerting more influence over the game.
 
United's other new signing Nick Powell also got his first run-out as a second half substitute and went close to scoring in an exciting end to the game.
Thankfully for both teams and a near sell-out crowd at the 55,000-capacity Cape Town Stadium, high winds and a morning deluge that battered the Western Cape for much of Saturday morning had subsided by kick-off.

Kagawa began the game tucked into behind Hernandez in the withdrawn role he is expected to be given this season, with Antonio Valencia and Anderson playing on either flank.

The Japan midfielder hardly touched the ball in a quiet opening that saw the hosts go closest to scoring in the 20th minute.
Paul Scholes uncharacteristically gave the ball away with a sloppy pass just inside his own half and a swift Ajax break ended with Khama Billiat scuffing the ball just side of Ben Amos's left-hand post.

It needed the joint efforts of young defenders Scott Wootton and Tyler Blackett to block Thembinkosi Fanteni's shot on the turn shortly afterwards as the South Africans again threatened, but Hernandez twice went close to putting United head before half-time.

The Mexico striker met Wootton's cross from the right with a downward header in the 35th minute that brought a fabulous save out of Sander Westerveld, and he then saw another effort roll millimetres wide of the former Liverpool goalkeeper's left-hand post.
Westerveld was replaced by Sean Roberts at half-time and his goal was soon coming under pressure at the beginning of a second half that also saw the rain start to fall heavily again.
 
Ferguson had promised to bring on some more youngsters later in the game, but he would no doubt have preferred to be at least one goal to the good when Powell, Bebe, Ryan Tunnicliffe and Jesse Lingard came on in the 68th minute.
However, it was Ajax who went ahead with three minutes of normal time remaining. United failed to deal with a corner from the left and Van Graan's first touch after coming off the bench was to flick the ball over Amos and send it looping into the top corner.