Football is beyond Nigeria, the Kgatlana red declares itself ahead of the Awcon final

South African striker Thembi Kgatlana is ready for Saturday's African Cup of Nations final against Nigeria, saying Banyana Banyana will play for the pride of the nation.

Both teams are ready to revive their rivalry at the Accra stadium, 13 days after a meeting in Cape Coast during their opening match of the tournament.

"I do not think we have a lot of expectations. We have nothing to lose, "said Kgatlana, the only goal of the first meeting. Goal.

"We really worked hard to get to the final. It will be difficult against Nigeria.

"We played them in the first group game of the tournament. The final is going to be a different ball game.

"They will want to play for their pride because they would not want South Africa to beat them twice. But it's the final and it's for everyone. This is for the catch. "

Having lost 1-0 in the opening match, Nigeria, eight-time champion and cup holder, is under immense pressure to change things. For Kgatlana, the fact that the Super Falcons have a title to defend will play in favor of his team.

"I do not think we're under pressure to win. Nigeria is under pressure as it has to defend its title, "said the Houston Dash 's ace.

"We accomplished what we came to do, which is to qualify for the World Cup. Having access to the final is good for us, especially for our confidence. And we are looking forward to that.

"Fear is not the word I'm going to use [to describe our state]. We are not afraid of them because we have shown that football is beyond Nigeria and that we can beat Nigeria when we have a good team.

"I do not think we were going there to beat them. Our goal is to play for the pride of the nation. "

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At the individual level, Kgatlana has the tournament of his life, having already scored five goals in the final. Her record leaves her as the best current scorer.

"I'm not surprised at my performance," revealed the 22-year-old athlete.

"I'm just shocked to see how much I came and how much I grew up. It's something the team needed and I was there to score goals.