Dean Furman and his teammates did not wait for a second invitation. But the midfielder said their Africa Cup of Nations Group A qualifier against the Super Eagles at the Cape Town Stadium (8.15pm kickoff) would require a far more aggressive approach.
"We know Nigeria are a top side, they are African champions and they had a terrific World Cup in Brazil and it's going to be a very difficult game. So we have to approach the game with total focus," said Furman.
Bafana beat Sudan 3-0 last Friday - a victory that silenced critics of Mashaba's new-look side. Furman said South Africa would have to rely on their nimble-footed players to edge the burly and physical Nigerians.
"We know that within our squad we have tremendous amounts of skill and the boys are unbelievable with the ball at their feet. But on the other side we have to match Nigeria's physicality, we have to be strong, we have to be up for the challenge, and I think if we match them in that department we know we can go score goals," he said.
Mashaba could ring the changes if his earlier training sessions are anything to go by.
Thabo Matlaba and Andile Jali sat on the sidelines but late medicals should determine the extent of their niggling injuries.
The coach hinted at tweaking his approach. This means Sibusiso Vilakazi, two-goal hero against Sudan, could start.
"It's not always the best players that start the game these days. We also can't say the guys who sat on the bench can come on again and have the same impact," said Mashaba.
