Women In Sports

"Don’t be afraid to take that risk. Impossible is nothing."

"You can sometimes stand in front of a door without knowing what’s on the other side and open it. You won’t know what’s on the other side until you open it."

"Being in an uncomfortable place isn’t bad [and] it isn’t wrong; it’s just different. Sometimes you need to be able to take that chance."

"Although we're American, we're also Nigerian. We're actually Nigerian first. That's the one culture that we know, that we were raised to respect and understand. To show people that it's okay to be both and it's okay to represent where you're from is a powerful message that, hopefully, we've been able to translate."

"You can’t coach someone to have passion, you can’t coach them to be dedicated, you can’t coach them to have heart and you can’t coach them to move with integrity or commitment and those are the things we are looking for."

"We’re capable enough to have a seat at the table. And to do great things."

"You can really do it all, You can have it all."

"I am strong,I am powerful. I am explosive."

"We didn’t make it easy. I’m really proud of the African teams."

"Our first game against Canada we were really nervous and obviously our preparations…you can’t really compare to the European teams or teams in North or South America. I’m sure we didn’t look prepared, but we were able to get a result."

"All of us dreamed of playing at a World Cup, but actually getting there still feels like a dream"

"experience in track and field will also help me to drive home a point to young athletes because I have gone through it already."

"I don’t know about any secrets, but I think if I could put it in a nutshell; I’m an athlete of routine, routine of being disciplined, hard working and dedicated. Doing the small things that most athletes don’t want to do, tapering down, ice baths, all kinds of stuff; If coach says do 6, don’t try to do 4! Your goal is to do 8. Those are things that made me a better athlete. I don’t drink, I don’t smoke, I try to take care of my body, rest etc."

"Most people don’t see this part, but there were days when I was throwing up, there were days when I couldn’t walk after a session, days when I felt like quitting and there were days when I’d say why am I doing this, I don’t want to do this anymore! But nobody sees that part, so when you make a final and you’re like wow…at least before the gun goes off, I can say I am number 8 or top 8 in the World! That to me, if you think of how many people are in this World, is fantastic, it’s awesome!"

"It is an athlete’s greatest accomplishment to be at the Olympics and in an Olympic final, so that’s what athletes have to learn to thrive on. Just like when you train your body physically, you have to train your mind mentally to harness that positivity from everything that is going on around you and put it into that competition. It’s almost like being in Hollywood; you have a script, the scene/race has already been rehearsed. I’ve trained, sacrificed and worked hard, so now it’s time to portray that in front of the World."

"I am in Equatorial Guinea when we have matches and tournaments. I have an apartment in the country's capital Malabo. In comparison with Nigeria is a very peaceful place. I really feel good out there and I'm glad that I can play for the country,"

"In 2005, we played a cup match with the team of Equatorial Guinea. I played the game very well because I scored three goals. Soon after, I received a proposal to play for the national team of the country. I did not think for a long time, because in Nigeria you must have connections to play in the national team (Falcons)."

"I’ve missed Football, training, I am missing many things on the pitch. I’m praying for mercy, God should just have mercy on Nigeria and let us start our game like let us have a Corona virus free time for everyone in the world"

"I’m rapt to see that golf is in the Olympics as I think it has the potential to help grow our game globally as well as in Australia. Our best Australian players continue to fly our flag so well internationally and I know they will do so in Paris 2024 hopefully coming away with a medal or two. That’s what I’d love to see."

"The Olympic Games are very special to me and I’m a patriotic Australian, so to have an opportunity to work with the best Australian players on the biggest stage in sport is incredibly powerful"

"I loved it, A lot of drivers off the tee, which I think is great. A lot of character. Greens are massive, so a lot of long putts. And they’re fast … probably a lot of 10-feet-and-in putts for par and long lag putts."

"I try to lower my expectations because you get pretty excited. You have a lot of family and you want to win, you want to play so well and do well, But I’ve learned to calm down a little bit and lower my expectations."

"Sticking to my process means believing in the work I’m doing and the ability to put it all [strengths and weaknesses] together. I’m still kind of bummed about my first nine holes at Massereene on Thursday and my back nine here [at Galgorm] yesterday. But besides that, everything was positive, so that’s what I will take with me."

"I’ve worked hard on all aspects of my game but coming into this season I knew my irons have always been where I can improve the most, I started the year and felt like I was hitting my irons the best I ever have then suddenly I wasn’t putting as well as I normally do, which has been my strength"

"When I noticed that my priorities changed, I was very excited to get marry and have kids. It was clear to me that I had to retire. It was very nice because I made a decision for the right reasons. I retired in Morelia, Mexico while we played a very important tournament, it was in my country, my people, my friends and sponsors, it was beautiful, she smiled."

"When I played golf in Arizona, I noticed I was at a good level and I could compete against the best in the world. I became a professional player and got closer to my dream"

"We could have won, 100 per cent. It’s the small things that let us down today, like second balls and not defending crosses. We just have to take it on the chin and go on to the next one."

"It was a tough one to take because I thought in spells we did really well, but in this league it’s the small millimetres that make the difference"

"I have created memories that will last a lifetime. I feel happy knowing that I am leaving this club in a much better place than when I arrived. I can’t wait to see the future success of the Houston Dash. I want to thank everyone, from the bottom of my heart"

"My time in Houston has been a journey. Not many people can say they have played at the same club for seven years. I am honoured to have worn orange for that length of time, I absolutely love this club and the city of Houston."

"There are a couple of negative notes. We conceded three goals, but for me the most important thing is to hold our heads high and we’ve got a couple of days to work on our defensive set play."

"On a personal note it was wonderful to be able to score my first goals at a World Cup, I think I’m going to keep on the positives. We were able to score six goals."

"Barcelona sign Ona Batlle on free transfer from Man Utd,ESPN, 19/June/2023, Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens"

"I have more experience now. I have travelled, I have played in England, where I was happy, but I am delighted to be able to come back and continue my career here."

"It's always been my dream to play for Barca's first team, It is true that I left before, but I did so with the mentality that it would serve me to come back."

"It’s so important we keep up our unbeaten run at home and the fans have been massive for us, you can always hear them they really are like the 12th player for us"

"We are in a good place; we have had a good couple of weeks of training and it’s up to us to go and get the three points. We need to see it as an opportunity to put things right and show what we can do."

"I think it’s an advantage that there’s a few familiar faces for me, so I know what I’m going to be up against."

"not because they are not physically ready, but because they are not mentally prepared."

"the focus is always on the training, the physical part of it, and the mental aspect of it is (being) ignored."

"Debbie Ferguson – McKenzie – Interview Female Coaching Network, 7 July 2015 by @fasterfergie16"

"Of course, I’ve had lonely moments, particularly being the only woman coach, you felt different. But I've never tried to act like a man. Why should I? I’ll always be myself."

"I think maybe people look at the results, but I think we’ve definitely improved. What we’re doing on the ball, what Pedro is encouraging us to do – close connections – everyone feels confident now."

"We’re definitely playing better and hopefully, we need a big win and hopefully that happens against Belgium."

"We’ve got players that can come on now and change the game. And we believe that our team’s very talented, it’s a close knit group and it’s amazing to be a part of"

"I think for a couple of days I really thought I’ve worked so hard all season, and it’s just not meant to be, but we had some really important games at Manchester United, obviously fighting for the league title and the FA Cup final."

"To be honest when I found out I wasn’t picked for the April camp I actually thought that was my World Cup dream over."

"I think you never want to be playing on someone else’s misfortune, but luckily we found out that Keira’s injury obviously wasn’t too long-term or serious, so that is brilliant news."

"I was really proud to be out there and to be called upon was great. When [the coaching staff] shouted me, I thought ‘Oh wow. There’s a lot I need to remember over the next couple of minutes!’ I was just trying to soak it all in. It was amazing to get out there."

"I think you always need some timing and luck in your career, I think that did come together [with] more game time, scoring some goals and I just felt like I was in a good place."