STEVEN PIENAAR is lining up to play his fourth match in 12 days tonight – at the end of a 6,000-mile flight to Cape Town.

But the Everton midfielder has insisted he has no fears about burn-out and doesn’t need a break.

Pienaar will captain South Africa against the United States in the annual Nelson Mandela Challenge and declared: “I did not want to rest. I was always keen to play especially as this match is being staged in Cape Town and I enjoy playing here. We are heading for a full house.

“It is a great honour being asked to be captain and it means a lot to me, but having said that I will not allow myself to be carried away.”

Pienaar will wear the captain’s armband because Portsmouth defender Aaron Mokoena is being rested.

The Blues midfielder only returned to David Moyes’ squad at Tottenham three weeks ago after missing two matches with a groin strain.

But he has showed no ill affects since then starting five successive Premier League matches.

Pienaar says he is more than up for the challenge against a new-look United States.

“It is going to be a special game for the fans and for me being my first game as captain and hopefully we get a win.”

He was also not reading too much into US coach Bob Bradley’s selection of an experimental squad to play Bafana.

“The US coach is trying to look at new players and that means they will be trying to impress him. I have played against a number of Americans internationals in the Premiership and the new generation of US players we face are going to be tough.”

Pienaar will not be lining up against team-mate Tim Howard, who has been left at home.

Boss David Moyes spoke only last week of his concerns about the goalkeeper’s unbroken two-year spell of club and international football, but US coach Bob Bradley has rested a number of senior players and selected an inexperienced XI for the friendly.