"Football has shaped me to find myself, my identity as a woman and as a footballer. It has taught me about life and how to embrace opportunities. It gave me an opportunity to go to college and because of that, I want to be an inspiration to young girls in Ghana. I want them to dream that it is possible to make it, to play with the best in the world."

"The team’s success and the players here are incredible, and I’m excited to contribute and learn from them."

"I love DC [Washington DC] because the people are very respectful, a predominantly Black community gives a feeling of home. You will see so many Ghanaians, Ugandans, Ethiopians basically, you will see people who are the same. People who will take you as a sister and make sure that you do not feel out of place."

"So, I have always been working hard and waiting for an opportunity, and it has finally come."

"When I was young, there were good players in Africa, but we didn’t see them on TV."

"I have a huge desire to come back and play and to become even better than I was when I left. I’ve come back to stay, and I feel a great sense of calm and patience."

"I give back to the community, to the young ones especially those that never had an opportunity to have mentorship. We give them boots and this alone can change their lives. We have so many partners that come on board to donate and this has been important to us."

"Visibility matters because for me being able to share my story is one of the ways that we can solve problems."

"I had no player to look up to, until I saw the 2011 Women’s World Cup. I saw Alex Morgan, who became my role model and inspiration, not just on the field, but also outside the field: believe in yourself and your ability even if other people don’t believe in that."

"Not my finest tournament, but still a memorable one!"

"No matter how [much] people would say ‘you’re a good player, you’re a great player,’ you always wanted that validation for yourself, feeling like I actually did it."

"I make sure I have enough protein, carbs, and healthy fat in all my nutrition. And constantly reminding myself of what to put in my body because the work we do requires us to be in good shape all the time."

"Every day I wake up and it feels like I’m still dreaming."

"There are still changes that need to be made to help women’s soccer in Ghana. And I hope one day I can help to make that change, help push it to be more professional, you know, it’s difficult to be seen (by scouts and agents) which makes it hard for them (women’s players) to get out."

"I would say trust the process, be able to learn about the product and what works for you. And also give yourself the chance to start something new."

"Growing up as a young girl, it seemed impossible to do things that men do."

"This is a dream come true for me. Representing Ghana at this level is an honour, and I’m giving everything for my team."

"Ghana is blessed with a lot of female talent, and that remains consistent."

"We’ll fight like it’s our last game."

"Having them gives me a sense of freedom, knowing that they are going to tell people to fight for what I have been craving for, and asking for. Things that I have not been able to say out loud as an individual player."

"Whatever it takes to keep myself in top shape, I’m ready to do it."

"I want to give this continent so much respect, but I also want to gain it. The only way you gain it is by performing, by showing who we are."

"Where I grew up, when you’re a kid, everybody, especially the older people when they see you play, they call on you based on the player that they think best fits your style. When I was like, eight or nine years old, Kaka was my role model. I always loved watching him play for AC Milan, and Brazil. So, one day I was playing with the boys and I needed a name to play. There was this old man who was sitting right next to the field and he was like, ‘Oh, you’re like Kaka from Brazil.’ Pretty much from then on I was Jen Kaka."

"I think we deserve the respect from African football."

"I never felt that there were people who were going to fight for me."

"Sometimes you will lose, sometimes too you will win but I think we can build on the positives from now."

"My first thought was … to make Ghana be spoken about in a very, very good light in women’s football."

"I’ve been preparing for this, and Ghanaians have been waiting for this moment."

"I hope I can add a lot more … not just goals, but assists, leadership and encouragement."

"I would like to win this trophy and see my name in the history books of Ghana, of Africa, and even worldwide. I’m very happy, and I know Ghanaians are happy too."

"My mum has always kept me with my roots, even though she's English. She's always made the African peanut butter soup and the fufu, and eating kenkey and Gari."

"It’s up to us as players to raise the standard."

"Ummm I think you need to be willing to learn, be positive, most of of all be persistent and don’t give up easily, you have to be coachable and not complacent, be humble and listen to good advice from your coaches and experienced players. I think that’s it."

"I started getting interest in soccer since I was little. I would say I was about 4. I developed interest by following my two brothers around. They played street soccer all the time and I would follow them out and be a ball girl. But it all changed, one day they were one play short and they put me in to make up the number. Though all I did was run around, it was fun. It didn’t stop there. They continued whenever they were a player short. I played street soccer until middle school."

"I’ve been through a lot going to school in a foreign country. Had to do jobs on the side to pay for my expenses. In the end it was really worth it."

"I didn’t necessarily choose soccer. I just accidentally started playing and with time I was actually good at it. So I kept going."

"We trust our coach. He’s given us a clear game plan, and all we have to do is to follow it and give everything we’ve got."

"Every time I touch the pitch, every time I play football, it's passion because I am filled with passion. I think everyone that sees me play, whether we're chasing the game or we're winning a game, I always have the passion and try and feed that energy from me to other people."

"We know what this game means. We are hopeful. We’ve prepared well."

"Tomorrow, we’ll give it our all."

"Never been interested in any other sports. My parents were really supportive. My parents are very educated so they know the value of combining education with sports. My dad bought all the necessary things I needed to play."

"Yes, the challenges I faced was being called names in my community. Names like, manwoman, boygirl and even a prostitute. And there are a lot of misconceptions about female athletes. That you won’t be able to give birth and finding a husband would be difficult. But am glad that people’s perception is changing everyday about women in sport’s."

"But you just have to remember when you’re down, you’ve just got to keep working hard because if it was easy, everyone could do it."

"I am so proud to be Ghanaian."

"The support may not be there at the level we want, but when we show quality, passion, and competitiveness on the field, more people will take notice."

"We the older players try to guide them and keep the team strong. It was always my dream to play in these kinds of games. But due to some reasons, I haven’t had the chance to be on the field as much as I wanted. Still, I’m supporting the team in every way I can."

"I've played football since I was very young, around four years old, when I saw the boys playing, and one of the dads of the other kids saw my mum and was like: 'Bring her down to the football that the boys do'."

"Getting to this stage of the tournament is a big deal, not just for us as players but for the entire country."

"I'm extremely excited and proud that we've made it to this stage. Ghana has been waiting a long time for this, and we've mentally prepared ourselves for the challenge."

"It was the craziest feeling I’ve ever felt. I wanted to be on the field and I had these little tears, you know, looking at the crowd, the way game was played. And I said, this is where I belong. That’s the words that came out of my mouth. This is where I belong."