"Social Media is very important to me because with a growing fan base becomes a platform. A platform to reach out to people and touch on subjects that aren’t talked about as much as they should be. I feel it gives me a responsibility to speak for others and for myself"

"So far I’ve only played characters who aren’t the nicest and are always the “mean girl” in some way, but I would really love to switch it up, take on more challenging roles and you know, throw in a splash of kindness here and there"

"Cristiano Ronaldo is my hero in the men’s game."

"There is a lot of potential among young girls in Tanzania. They need to know that if they work hard, they can succeed, help their families and make their country proud. Women's football is a way forward."

"Personally, I want to continue to play at a good level at all times and, ultimately, I want to become the best player in Africa and the world."

"First of all because it's an opportunity to play against the best players on the continent. But also because it is a showcase to show the development of women's football in Tanzania. Through this competition, we have the opportunity to make our country, our level, our ambitions known. It is also a way to prove that Tanzania has its place on the African stage, that our efforts to advance women's football are starting to bear fruit."

"We respect our opponents, but we're not going to be satisfied with being there. We will fight, proudly represent our country and try to get results. We are ready to take up the challenge."

"I would tell her to believe in herself. The path is not easy, it is true, but it is worth it."

"I feel pressure but also happiness every time I play for my nation."

"We are preparing seriously, with a lot of desire, and we are aware of the importance of this tournament for us, for our country, and for the development of women's football in Tanzania."

"I want to experiment and push myself to see how far I can go. I’m down for anything that’s as far from me as possible. So whatever that means to you, to whoever’s reading this, I just want to do that. I want to do some crazy shit"

"I rely a lot on the advice of my coaches, whether at club or national level. They help me to progress, to stay focused on my goals. I'm also very attentive to my teammates, I learn from them. I think the main thing is to stay humble, to work hard every day, and to always keep in mind the collective goals."

"When I moved to New York, it was the first time I felt that I could live for myself and try different things"

"That was my introduction to character study and acting as a means of understanding people and relationships"

"But I also am a firm believer that it’s about the people you have around you"

"When we moved to Vancouver, my mother had to relearn a lot of things—the only things that she really got to bring with her were her religion and her culture"

"I feel like when you’re putting too much pressure on something it tends to combust, so you have to find pockets of different creative release"

"Even though acting is a creative outlet, it’s not something that you can do by yourself unless you’re reading scripts or analyzing movies"

"In Uganda, the culture that you’re born into is kind of what you follow throughout the rest of your life, but when I came here, it felt more like I had the option to be my own person and choose where I wanted my life to go."

"We are very motivated. It has been a long time since Tanzania has participated in a women's AFCON finals, so the whole team – players and staff – is happy to be back. There is a real excitement at the idea of representing our country at this level."

"It's little moments like that that that remain engraved. He's a world star, and to be able to cross paths in the same club is something inspiring."

"We wish each other good luck, we discuss the preparation with our respective teams. It's nice to know that we will be several representatives of the same club in such an important competition. It strengthens the bonds, and we motivate each other to represent our countries and our colours well."

"It's a very special moment for me. It's the first time I'm going to participate in a senior AFCON, so I'm both excited and focused. I'm preparing seriously, physically and mentally. It's a big step in my career."

"I want to fight for my country, give the best of myself on the pitch and make the Tanzanian team proud. I'm really looking forward to this experience."

"Today, football can be a career, a real opportunity for emancipation."

"You shouldn't be afraid to show your talent, to fight for your dreams."

"I had a very good time in Spain but when I got a chance to go play in the Saudi league, I thought it was better to look at other challenges based on my goals."

"It was difficult initially to get used to the environment in Saudi Arabia, including the language, food and many things, but now I’m used to it and everything is going well, and I’m happy."

"Being placed in front of that camera, even as a little girl, I knew THIS is what I wanted to do. It was so familiar and comfortable to me"

"My family has always been quite theatrical just in our being"

"In Uganda, I would never have thought of doing this job. Not because it doesn’t happen there but because it’s as if, in my mind and in my family’s mind, we already had a completely different path mapped out for our lives. Instead, Canada has opened up new opportunities for me that I could not have imagined"

"My personal success only counts if it helps the team move forward."

"Finding what fulfills us is the ultimate success"

"The best learning happens when we give ourselves permission to fumble through something new"

"It's OK to have multiple passions and to pursue them in various capacities"

"Not every attempt of mine would be a surefire success"

"Let yourself be bad at things"

"We are not here to know, we are here to learn"

"Allow yourself the freedom to explore different fields"

"My parents instilled this idea that learning is a lifelong adventure, whether that's in a classroom or out in the world"

"Education has always been an integral part of my life"

"It's OK to not have all the answers"

"Being Black and Iranian is something that even subconsciously plays into what I bring to a role"

"On a set, you’re a character. Everything about you is altered. In the tent, the goal is to be yourself."

"“It’s not about appearances or needing to seem like I’m good at everything"

"We cannot rely on the status quo, and we will need to pursue unconventional paths"

"My 20s has been a jarring experiment in figuring out how to give myself space to be mediocre at things"

"Having to pour so much thought into basic survival doesn’t give your brain space to think about, Well, why are we living?"

"For me, optimism is a belief in self"

"It’s overwhelming to think about how broken some of these systems are, how imperfect some of our tools for change are"