"It feels so great. Kennedy is my inspiration so, for me, this is so encouraging and it really gives me more hope and more courage to keep on working extra hard"

"That's the very year we also qualified for the Women's Africa Cup of Nations for the first time. If you look at the team that qualified for the Women's World Cup, half of it came from the U17 World Cup"

"I really want to experience more, because now it's at a senior level. I'm very excited and looking forward to the World Cup"

"The development is very great and I feel everyone now is focused to say we can go further - even to those people that were doubting themselves are now encouraged"

"He called the next day. He was like 'you really adopted my spirits', and I was like, 'wow, yeah"

"She used to play netball, and in the process I wanted to do something different from her sport. So, I began playing football and from that time, it has been my favourite sport"

"She would encourage me. She told me to focus on school but also play football because I like it. So, she understood me so well and it really gave me the zeal to keep on going"

"I really had so much trouble that I had to change where I would stay"

"I went for a holiday at my grandma's place. And I really cried because I wanted to stay there and enjoy my sports career. So, I had to do that. And it really helped me a lot"

"I think the moment I started being named in the national team, that's the time my parents stood up for me and began supporting me. My mom is now my biggest fan"

"I think this was the sweetest victory we had"

"I feel like that moment, that's where everything began"

"I’m over the moon to announce that I’ve joined Zesco Ndola Girls Football Club"

"Gugulethu is like a community, like a school. You learn a lot from the people there. They are all parents to us. If you are able to take all the lessons from them then we can succeed. That is the weapon to achieve our goals."

"I never dreamt of being a footballer. I used to play Netball and I was very good at it but one day my teacher told me to try and play as a football goalkeeper and that’s how my career started like a joke."

"For me, football is more than a game; it’s a way of life. We survive because of football. I feed my family through football, so I always make sure I work really hard and do my best during games"

"It is important that they know that one has to work really hard to get what you want. Honestly, success does not really fall from the sky. You need to wake up early."

"So many people look up to us because of where we come from."

"I am happy to be back and I am sure my experience will help Buffaloes. I know most of the players here and I will easily adapt"

"It felt so good [to score the penalty] because we normally [practice it] ; whenever we have a session, we train for it,"

"After years away from the pitch due to injury – years that were devastating, breaking, and emotional – I’m finally back. Thanks to Zesco Ndola Girls Football Club for this opportunity"

"We have had memorable battles with them, and we are quite unfortunate to lose against them last year. We have grown as a team and playing in the Challenger has hardened us, and we are looking forward to doing well on home soil"

"Our esteemed supporters are the 12th player on the field. I want to thank them for their continuous support and encourage them to keep coming in numbers to witness more great football at the stadium(s)"

"My priority is to help the team concede fewer goals so we can win more games. But football is evolving and defenders now play a crucial role in attacking too. I want to improve my ability to push forward, create opportunities and even score more goals."

"I believe our chances will greatly improve if we can get six to eight players playing in Europe, South Africa or elsewhere. The exposure of playing abroad is massive, and it will greatly improve our rugby"

"We stayed on our toes, even during the festive period. We were given individual programs to maintain our fitness and keep the momentum going. Having an early preseason has also been a big advantage, giving us more time to get ready."

"I’m looking forward to playing with some of the top players from not only France but also the rest of the world and sharpening my skills and improving my rugby knowledge"

"For me, it’s always been an honor to wear the nation’s badge"

"It’s a dream come true"

"I lost my temper during a heated match and acted in a way that was below my standards. To Yasmin in particular, I extend my sincerest apologies. I hope you are well today and wish you nothing but the best for the future. I am sorry"

"There’s a lot of difference between the football operation in Ghana and Tanzania. In Ghana, there is little or no support but the story is different here. Because of how passionate they are, fans here are even able to fund a club when they are embarking on a trip, that alone is motivating enough to fight for the club"

"Evelyn Badu is Evelyn Badu, I am Philomena Abakah, I'm not under any pressure to do what she did, as much as I want to do better which am sure and believe I can, her achievement is not what I look up to, I am more interested in what my team can achieve together, I can’t be what she did if Simba doesn’t go far in the tournament. The focus is the club, not individual accolades. If I get it, glory to God but there’s no pressure or competition to do what she did."

"We are not under any pressure. The drip we came to Morocco with should tell you we are okay. Everyone in the team is confident [that we can succeed]. We are not only here as representatives from East Africa, we are here to compete as well to fight for the crest and give our utmost best in this tournament"

"My actions yesterday are not representative of me as a person. I lost my cool in a heated match and acted in a way that leaves me disappointed in myself. To Yasmin in particular, I offer sincere apologies. I hope you are feeling fine today and only wish you the best going forward"

"Personally, I’m not demotivated. We know the level of Women's football in our world. It’s getting the deserved attention now, so every opportunity should be taken. Hopefully, it gets better -- we played qualifiers not knowing what the reward will be"

"I want to go there and do my best with the team and go as far as we can because everyone would be watching our performance and for me in particular, most Ghanaians will be interested"

"We are not only here as representatives from East Africa, we are here to compete as well to fight for the crest and give our outmost best in the tournament"

"Initially, when I came here, I was not okay, it was a bit challenging, food and language and being in a different setting [which] is normal when you go to a new club outside your country. But as time goes on, I’ve got to understand things here and settled well"

"We feel that we represented our nation with honour. We gave everything that we could and at least out of the three games, we scored two goals and gained a point against the defending champions South Africa. That is something. Our plan is to come back to the WAFCON"

"I want to go there and do my best with the team and go as far as we can because everyone will be watching our performance, me in particular, most Ghanaians will be interested. The focus is to excel and progress in my career ambition and get the Simba family happy, they’re very supportive and I hope not to let them down"

"Against South Africa, we scored first and against Ghana, we came from behind to equalise but then conceded three more goals. We shall take the lessons. We are going back home to assess our performance and to plan for the future"

"For all of us that played at this WAFCON, this was our first time to feature at the tournament. We came here with the sole goal of going to the final, but we fell short. We did not fail because we leave here with so many lessons learnt"

"The mood in the squad has been amazing heading into the new season. Playing for this team on its own carries a lot of pressure because we have set ourselves a very high standard. That means we have to push even harder to stay at the top."

"We respect the Springbok name deeply, but we also know that we’re writing our own story within it. We want to be known for our resilience, unity and courage"

"I want girls to know their dreams are valid, no matter where they start. I was once a young girl with a dream too and it took years of work, setbacks and faith to get there."

"In terms of style we bring physicality, passion and flair that’s uniquely South African. We want people to look at us and see a team carving a legacy of heart, strength and pride in green and gold."

"If you stay consistent and keep working even when no one is watching, opportunities will come. I want young girls to see us and know that it’s possible – whether it’s rugby, studies or something else entirely, you can break barriers"

"My personal goals are to keep growing as a player and leader and to continue representing South Africa in both sevens and fifteens."

"Our physicality is always a strength, but it needed to be applied smartly with dominating collisions, slowing their ball and staying patient"