Banyana Banyana midfielder Nompulelelo Nyandeni believes that playing against Nigeria in the AWCON is always like playing a cup final.

The South African Women’s national team secured their spot in the last four following their 5-0 thrashing of Egypt in Limbe, Cameroon on Friday.

The 29-year-old is looking forward to the Nigeria encounter, confident that her side can be victorious.

‘It is always a battle of the best when we face Nigeria. The rivalry between us started long before our days in the national team, and playing against the Super Falcons is always like a cup final, regardless of the stage of the tournament,’ Nyandeni told SAFA.net.

‘In any case, once you are in the last four you can’t pick and choose. Those teams did not get there by fluke, and to get to the top you have to go past them.

‘It is not going to be an easy game and I am confident we can walk away with the victory. We have beaten them before and, to do that again, we will have to play as a team. It took us three matches to start scoring goals in this tournament, so our confidence levels are on a high after the win against Egypt.’

Nyandeni believes if her side can settle early on, they will have a good shot at victory.

‘We watched their matches throughout the AWCON and will continue analysing them with the technical team. They are a very balanced side, just like us, and they are not impossible to beat. If we settle early in the match, and follow our game tactics, then we stand a good chance of overcoming them.’

Kick-off has been set for 20:00.