"When I was young, they tried to stop me from playing football, but I refused and told them I was not interested in royal duties, my mom was not happy."

"I believe that passion, leadership skills, valuable knowledge and experience, confidence, fairness, and time management make a good coach."

"I am extremely proud of what I have achieved and am grateful to many people behind the scenes who have made this all possible."

"Anything is possible through hard work and determination. I didn’t ever think that my life would turn out this way coming from poverty and lack of resources. I am so grateful for what netball has brought into my life."

"I don’t know where I would be without netball. It gave me an opportunity to travel the world, represent my country, make an income and to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for all the young girls who have dreams of following in my footsteps."

"I would like to offer a piece of advice to the incoming captain; refrain from micromanaging, avoid biases, adopt a generous approach, prioritize fairness, uphold respect, and lead by example. Base your decision on facts and align with the federation’s objectives. Don’t hesitate to seek clarification by asking questions."

"I love having the opportunity to help empower women and I want to give hope to all girls in the South African community."

"Whatever you want to work towards or whatever you want to achieve, it doesn’t matter who you are, your height, or whatever your circumstances are, you can achieve it and it comes with a lot of hard work."

"Sport has the power to change things. For instance, I have become much more confident from being involved in netball."

"To lose like that, it does hurt. If it doesn't hurt, it doesn't mean anything. But no one game like this makes us a bad squad."

"Random situations where I had to say ‘sorry I didn’t hear’‚ but the conversation or coaching was in Afrikaans‚ which used to be a norm."

"I have to thank God for the idea of knowing when to take one big decision, moving forward into the next level, not just my netball career but my life in general."

"We black people sometimes do treat white people differently to how we treat other blacks."

"I have been in a situation where I needed assistance at a hospital from a black lady with my mom and I had to wait. Right at that space‚ a white man came with more or less the same request and was assisted immediately."

"Because I know if anyone is given a chance, are supported fully and obviously given the right information, they can actually be as big as they want to be. I love that I am seeing this with the girls."

"I've always had a positive approach in whatever situation I find myself. I tend to find that as soon as you go negative, immediately, people around you tend to be negative. So my focus is to just stay positive as long as possible."

"Over the past years it has not been easy being a female footballer because of the whole concept of it being a man sport but now people understand that we too can play football so that pressure has toned down."

"I think the current situation faced in the football fraternity is a sad one as football in general is a great investment one can make as you are also creating a name for yourself and marketing yourself."

"Every time my name is announced in the national squad there is a feeling of excitement."

"I’m the only girl in our home, and my father used to play football. So, I started playing football at the age of 6 with a boys’ team. To be honest, I’ve been lucky to have my family’s support. Even though they got scared for me at times, of getting injured, specially playing with boys, but they kept supporting me. My mother even used to take me to my trainings."

"Every encounter has added to the person I am today. I am blessed."

"As a woman in sport, there are areas where we can still be better but now and then I look back and think about those who changed things for us or played their part in making sure that in a few days, we can celebrate Freedom Day."

"Women are getting to sit at big seats at the table, and this makes me proud."

"Do not be misled by the glitz and glamour of what you see now. There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes for many years; late nights, challenges and sacrifices. It’s the positive mindset, commitment, passion and continuous hard work behind the scenes that will set you apart from the rest. Your drive and determination will determine your path in your journey."

"The person you get on the field is someone who gets on their knees every day. I am not in control of anything. God is always in control."

"Cherish that moment because it’s not guaranteed, nothing in sport is a lifetime thing, it’s really about that time when you are still able to and can still run around injury-free and healthy."

"I lost who I was."

"I would simply say, never give up, there is no shame in failing, but it is important how you pick yourself up after that."

"When you reach a certain age, you realize that being only a footballer does not help you financially, as women’s football does not have enough money as the men’s game. So, I made sure to secure myself with another full-time job. I had to work on both at the same time."

"For me, a leader is always just someone that can obviously implement – and it's all about action, like I think their action and everything that they do."

"Being a coach is not as easy as everyone thinks. There are so many aspects of the game that you have to pay close attention to. You need to understand the mindset of the players, as well as their mentality to buy into your philosophy. Being a coach also makes one understand the psychological aspects of the game because I am now able to understand the frustrations of a player when things are not going according to plan. Overall, by becoming a coach, I have gained a broader understanding of the game."

"I like experiencing progress and I always think it is best for the future. I can proudly say that amongst all the black players in the Spar Proteas‚ none of them would say they feel marginalised or ill-treated because of their skin colour because we all matter."

"We have a high fighting spirit. We are consistent and resilient and we want to win. We feel like this is yet another chance for us. My heartfelt gratitude to all the supporters who always come out to watch us play."

"I think it is very important that you do not neglect either and if you think you are a great footballer you also dont know where football can take you so you need something to fall back on, which is a career."

"I am thankful for everyone who have contributed to my growth, good and bad, and I am ready for the new challenges ahead of me that requires new focus."

"I fell back into soccer, because at every corner boys were playing football and I just stood out as the only girl."

"At this rate, we may not see how much of an impact this team has had on women's football because we always water down their achievements."

"We’re deliberately stifling the growth of women’s football while boys' youth programmes and senior competitions keep getting the mileage and recognition. It does feel like women’s football is on its own."

"Interpreting a game is not always easy. It comes with confidence."

"Football gave me everything. I’m truly grateful."

"It’s not easy playing with a target on your back."

"It's not just a major win for me personally in my career, but for many other aspiring women who want to be in the commentary space."

"As a former footballer, I know what it's like to be on the pitch."

"I think when you go there, you must be brave and be tough. When you start to be nervous and you see players who have long been playing in the World Cup, you won’t cope."

"The first game is where you push. No matter what happens, how bad the result or score is, but if you push in the first game, that’s when you’ll realise you can push in the second as well."

"I think showcasing our talent and competing on a global stage will definitely bring positive change into the sport."

"All the players who are based abroad are ambassadors and we need to set good examples and standards for those that are back home or those that will follow in our footsteps, so yes there is a lot of pressure on all of us – but it is the kind that motivates us to well and represent our country in a most outstanding way. To be honest, I am excited and nervous at the same time – excited about the move, but also nervous that I am going to a new country, which means new beginnings. This is a really a dream come true"

"The challenge of not being prioritised and empty promises still lingers because we still treat this team like or as an afterthought."

"Football is my world – without it, there’s little else for me. My passion for the game is boundless, and I aim to keep playing for as long as I can. That’s how deep my love for football runs."