The poster girl of South African women's football, Thembi Kgatlana fancies Banyana Banyana's chances of qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
Nine-time African champions Nigeria hold a slender one-goal advantage heading into the return leg at Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria. Captain Rasheedat Ajibade scored the all-important goal shortly before halftime when she converted from the spot after Noko Matlou committed a foul on Chinwendu Ihezuo inside the box.
Thembi Kgatlana has highlighted one rule change that could be advantageous to Banyana Banyana. For the final round of the 2024 Olympic qualifiers, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has decided not to apply the obsolete away goals rule.
If Nigeria and South Africa are tied at the end of ninety minutes after the second leg, the game will go into extra time and possibly penalties, rather than the winner being determined by the away goals rule. Thembi Kgatlana said: "The good thing is it's not a tournament.
“We've played one game now, and we know that after the game in Pretoria whoever wins go through. There's no fixing but I think after today they are 1-0 with the advantage.
"There is no away goal rule or whatever, I also think that gives us so much confidence because we are not chasing the game. We know that we just have to win with a better score."
The Super Eagles failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup after they were held to a goalless draw by Ghana's Black Stars in Kumasi and then playing a 1-1 draw in the return leg in Abuja.
