Germany win 24-0 in warm-up match

Germany enjoyed an easy workout against a local amateur team in their training camp in Sudtirol yesterday, thrashing their hapless opponents 24-0.

Bayern Munich strikers Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez, who had only just arrived after the Champions League final, scored five goals each as Joachim Low's side showed no mercy on youthful opponents from Eppan.

Fellow strikers Cacau and Stefan Kiessling scored two each, while Lukas Podolski was also on target.

The rest of the goals were scored by Piotr Trochowski (three), Andreas Beck (two), Toni Kroos (two), Arne Friedrich (one) and Sami Khedira (one).

Stuttgart striker Cacau, who is preparing for his first major tournament, said the excitement is increasing by the day.

"I am enjoying the atmosphere," he said. "The tension is rising every day as the World Cup beckons and we are all really looking forward to it getting started."

Meanwhile, Germany coach Joachim Low is expected to announce Philipp Lahm as his new captain later today after meeting with the Bayern Munich full-back yesterday.

However, former Germany number one Oliver Kahn, who played alongside Lahm both for club and country, is not convinced that the 26-year-old would be the right choice.

"You have a huge responsibility as captain of the national team and the player who wears the armband must always lead the way," he told Munich's Tz newspaper.

"Lahm still has to prove whether he has the leadership qualities for the whole tournament.

"A World Cup is very long and there are tough phases. As the captain, you must always be positive and courageous.

"Philipp is a great footballer, but I don't know whether he is mature enough for this."