"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."

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

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

"Tomorrow, we’ll give it our all."

"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."

"We’ve worked so hard, and now we’re just one step away from the final. That means everything."

"I’ve been learning the path to success is not just one straight line. There are a lot of ups and downs, and most people don’t see the downs."

"Some of the younger players bring so much energy to the team. It lifts us."

"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."

"You’ve got to keep pushing yourself. When you’re tired? You have to do more. Do you want to stop a guy? Do one more."

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

"It’s been my dream to be a professional soccer player."

"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."

"You have to make sure you’re fit, that your weaknesses improve … you have to have confidence in yourself. There is always something to work on, so you should never not be doing something."

"I think if we play to our best abilities, I think we could really win the whole thing."

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

"Watching from the stands in the opener, I knew that if I am going to get a chance to come in, I need to do more, work hard and give my team the balance."

"They are really doing a good job for us because at first people don’t even cheer female footballers but now they are all supporting us. We are always grateful, we hope they will continue to support and we will also do our best for them."

"The quality of the Black Queens team is very high, from the goalkeeping department to the attackers. All the players have geniune talents."

"As a footballer you need to be tough in everything so I will say I am thankful to God for how far He has brought me, I am so excited to be back."

"It’s very important. When I check my social media, I see people who post about me and send encouraging messages. We definitely inspire many, especially the young ones who dream of playing for Ghana one day."

"My message is simple: keep supporting us, keep praying for us. We promise to give our best and bring the trophy home. Thank you."

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

"When it comes to motivating myself, it is not about money but I encourage myself to be the best at what I do and when fans are happy, it's a great feeling for me. This award is a massive honour and a motivation to reach higher heights."

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

"I believe in my teammates and the work we’ve done in training. Our preparation, our coaches and our belief will push us forward."

"Out of so many female footballers, to be chosen to play at such a big tournament is a huge honour. Women’s football is loved by many, and we know a lot of people will be watching us."

"We don’t really care about their World ranking as I know we can match them. We are going to play as a team and I know at the end of the day we are going to achieve what we deserve."

"It’s very important to lead by example through my work. I always make myself available to the younger ones in case they need support. We live together like a family, and sometimes it’s hard to even tell who’s new or old."

"WAFCON is the biggest women’s football competition in Africa. It’s always a great opportunity to play on such a huge stage, and I’m super excited to represent Ghana again."

"It’s always a great feeling to represent your country."

"Every team at the AFCON has earned their place, so each game will be tough. But we have belief in ourselves and what we bring to the competition."

"I always want to give my best for the national team because I love Ghana and our fans are amazing. They deserve our very best."

"In the previous squads, I was one of the youngest and had the chance to learn a lot from the experienced players. Now, I’m one of the oldest and the longest-serving, so I’ve taken on the responsibility of mentoring the younger ones, which I really enjoy."

"Yes for sure, I am hoping for that, that's my aim, I listen to coaches and personally I feel anything you do you have to set a target and that is my target and am working towards that."

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

"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."

"It feels like part of my roots. It feels like a big sense of home away from home. It's like my two homes colliding. Obviously am partly from England and I have half Ghanaian as well, so it's brought me closer to the motherland as I always say, my roots, the people. It feels amazing because everyone's really nice. Yeah, the girls are really welcoming as well, so it's really good."

"From the first day I was a little bit shy. I'm a shy person, but then straight away, I've never been in an environment before where everyone is genuine. Everybody's really grateful and shows positivity and they made me feel like I've been a part of it for a long time."

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

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

"It’s just been really exciting to play for the national team — It’s always been a dream, but I never thought I’d actually be here. It didn’t become real to me until I was there, and it was one of the best experiences of my life."

"Playing the host nation is exciting, not pressure."

"I'm from Accra, but I was born in Liberia. My father is Ghanaian, and my brothers live in Ghana. I've been to Ghana only once, but it was great seeing my family and having that experience. I really enjoyed it."

"I am so proud to be Ghanaian."

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