Kaizer Chiefs 0 Man Utd 0 (Pens: 4-3):  Most of Manchester United's big names return to training on Monday. Judging by the evidence of today's Vodacom Challenge final, few will be anxious about their first team places.

Eye-catching performances were largely conspicuous by their absence at Loftus Versfeld as United lost in a penalty shoot-out.

Kieran Richardson was a particular disappointment, earning the ire of Alex Ferguson on more than one occasion for his repeated failure to take chances or produce an accurate final ball.

Indeed, United would have been on the wrong end of the result in normal time had Luke Steele not made an outstanding save to deny former Charlton star Shaun Bartlett midway through the second half.

With chances at a premium, it was no surprise spot-kicks were required to decide the outcome, with misses from Ben Foster and Chris Eagles ensuring the Red Devils left for home empty-handed.

In an otherwise drab opening period, most of the notable moments involved Dong Fangzhou.

Ferguson revealed earlier this week the 20-year-old striker should be eligible for a UK work permit in December, which would finally allow him to join United on a permanent basis.

Until the red tape is sorted out, Dong will remain at Royal Antwerp, so his start against the Chiefs represented his last appearance in a red shirt for a few months at least.

The former Dalian Shide youngster was eager to make an impact but his prospects of doing so were hampered by his failure to find a meaningful finish to any of the four chances which came his way.

While Dong was having a frustrating afternoon, at the other end, United's highly-rated young defender Johnny Evans was performing creditably on his first start at senior level.

Big things are predicted for the Belfast-born teenager and although he needs to fill out a bit more before he could be exposed to Premiership combat, Evans' potential is obvious.

The same is also true of Giuseppe Rossi, whom Ferguson has suggested could help fill the void should Ruud van Nistelrooy eventually depart for Madrid or Munich.

Yet, for the second game running, Rossi made little impact, raising doubts over the 19-year-old's current suitability for a place among Ferguson's elite.

The failure of injury-plagued Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to play any part after picking up a minor knock earlier in the competition only heightens those concerns.  PA