Libreville, Gabon: An efficient performance from a Brazil side missing several first-team players saw them ease past Gabon in the African nation's capital, overcoming difficult conditions to win with strikes from Sandro and Hernanes.
Kicking off 20 minutes late due to floodlight failure, the awful state of the pitch in Libreville's Stade Omar Bongo made fluid-passing football almost impossible. Nevertheless, it was Brazil who took the initiative early in the game.
Jonas and Adriano both went close, before Sandro gave the Selecao the lead under bizarre circumstances. Remy Ekwa almost put the ball past his own keeper in a shambolic defence of Bruno Cesar's cross and the Tottenham man reacted first to poke the ball past Didier Ovono after 12 minutes.
The South Americans then dominated proceedings for the majority of the first-half, although there were a few positives from the hosts - mostly emanating from the promising Pierre Aubameyang, who gave the Brazil defence problems with his direct, skillful running. Gabon offered little to threaten goalkeeper Diego Alves, however; and it was the visitors who added the second.
With 34 minutes played, Jonas released a stinging shot from the edge of the penalty area that was parried by Ovono but not cleared. Lazio's Hernanes was on hand to nod the rebound into the empty net, doubling the advantage and putting Brazil in a commanding position going into half-time.
The second period was only minutes old when Bruno Cesar almost scored an outrageous strike. The midfielder saw Ovono off his line and released a shot from his own half, only to see it float just wide of the post to the relief of the goalkeeper. Hulk then powered his way through the defence but was denied with the goal at his mercy by Ekwa's last-ditch tackle.
Gabon were then galvanised by the entrance of national hero Daniel Cousin, and Aubayemang went close with a shot that whistled past Alves' left-hand post. Cesar then saw another chance somehow stay out, when his vicious volley was deflected away by Ovono before hitting the bar.
Despite plenty of goalmouth action, neither team could add to the scoreline and Brazil moved on to Monday's meeting with Egypt in the latest series of friendlies for the 2014 World Cup hosts.
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