South African midfielder Quinton Fortune believes he will be a different player at the Nations Cup finals following his marriage on Friday.

"I've been nervous and tense before important football matches but nothing compares to the feelings which ran through me prior to the wedding ceremony. I think only those who are married can describe it, " he said.

Fortune's nerves were further stretched by the late arrival of his bride, Kim Randall, on a rainy Cape Town summer's afternoon.

Looking splendid in a cream suit and cream tie and sporting a clean shaven head, Fortune shed a few tears during the ceremony conducted by Pastor John Kriel.

Honeymoon

"The wedding had been on my mind for a while but now that it's all done, I'm looking forward to scoring my first goal for Bafana Bafana," said a beaming Fortune soon after signing the marriage register.

"Unfortunately, I won't have time to go on honeymoon. That will have to wait for later in the year."

Due to the limited preparation time for the Nations Cup, none of Fortune's Bafana Bafana teammates were able to attend his big day.

The midfielder was given a few days off from the national team's training camp in Mmabatho to get married.

The 24-year-old Manchester United midfielder married Kim, 25, after the couple had been courting for several years. They have been sharing a house in Manchester for the past two years.