Cape Town City midfielder Lebogang Manyama says he is excited by the pressures that come with donning the Bafana Bafana jersey ahead of their 2019 AFCON qualifier against Nigeria on Saturday.

The Absa Premiership’s top marksman is in doubt for the crucial tie against The Super Eagles as he is suffering from a knee injury which will need to be monitored closely.

When asked about the pressures of representing the national team, the 26-year-old said he welcomes such presssure and said he is hopeful of getting some game time against Gernot Rohr’s side.

“In life, even guys that work at the robots are under some sort of pressure,” he told kickoff.com

“There’s pressure everywhere, but you have to enjoy this kind of pressure. People are saying they believe in your abilities and you can do it, so why go there and doubt yourself?

“At the same time, you have to put in the hard work – you can be the best player in the world, but if you don’t put in the effort, it won’t matter.

“There’s probably about ten players in the world that can count on their talent only, but most have to work hard, and have to push themselves to the limit,” he added.

The former SuperSport United man hopes to open his Bafana scoing account if he does get a run in his ninth national team appearance.

“If you are carrying the weight of the country on your shoulders, you have to enjoy that moment and make the best out of it.

“And hopefully if I get the chance I can do that. But if it doesn’t happen, I know I have to be patient – playing in the national team compared to playing at club level is not the same thing,” he concluded.

Photo: Samuel Shivambu/BackpagePix