"Do not be misled by the glitz and glamour of what you see now. There is a lot of work being done behind the scenes for many years; late nights, challenges and sacrifices. It’s the positive mindset, commitment, passion and continuous hard work behind the scenes that will set you apart from the rest. Your drive and determination will determine your path in your journey."

"Every encounter has added to the person I am today. I am blessed."

"I like experiencing progress and I always think it is best for the future. I can proudly say that amongst all the black players in the Spar Proteas‚ none of them would say they feel marginalised or ill-treated because of their skin colour because we all matter."

"We black people sometimes do treat white people differently to how we treat other blacks."

"Random situations where I had to say ‘sorry I didn’t hear’‚ but the conversation or coaching was in Afrikaans‚ which used to be a norm."

"I have to thank God for the idea of knowing when to take one big decision, moving forward into the next level, not just my netball career but my life in general."

"I love having the opportunity to help empower women and I want to give hope to all girls in the South African community."

"Sport has the power to change things. For instance, I have become much more confident from being involved in netball."

"I believe that passion, leadership skills, valuable knowledge and experience, confidence, fairness, and time management make a good coach."

"I don’t know where I would be without netball. It gave me an opportunity to travel the world, represent my country, make an income and to be a beacon of hope and inspiration for all the young girls who have dreams of following in my footsteps."

"Sometimes we mess up our opportunities. But if it had to happen, it had to happen."

"I don’t need to be reminded about where I come from. Wherever I go my name stays the same, my accent stays the same. But it’s good to know people are behind me."

"It’s also about working hard and not giving up. Because when you love something you’ve got to go the extra mile."

"When you come from the villages you don’t give up. We keep on working no matter what."

"We are feeling good, and we are prepared. We know what it will take to defend our title, and we will have to work as a team – play for one another, support each other, fight for one another. So, teamwork will win the day, unlike in tennis where you are on your own."

"Sometimes, I feel like quitting but I have one goal; to finish this year even if it means crawling to the finish line."

"I’ve made it out of an under-resourced area, and they can too. The impossible is nothing."

"Imagine what the national team could achieve if women’s football was fully professional. It would change everything."

"Sponsorships go beyond just tangible things. I have access to a team of experts to help me optimise my training and nutrition to ensure that I perform at my best."

"This is a big win, not only for me but for other sportswomen as well from disadvantaged areas. Let's celebrate and pave the way for the next generation of athletes by also giving back to the communities we come from."

"Had I not quit my job, I wouldn't be here because I was working in the deep rural areas. It was very hard to train. I was training with the boys."

"Not everyone gets a chance to play at the highest level of sport, especially when you are from a rural area like where I come from."

"What you put in is what you get out."

"I think for me we need people to come and watch our games."

"So, there's a lot more than just being a coach, there's a lot you can do in football and contribute to the game."

"I was always involved in sport. I used to be the only girl at school or back home playing with the boys. At school I tried all sports that were available, but I enjoyed football more than anything"

"There are many things that go on that people from the outside don’t understand, but as a person I understand myself, I know how I operate, I know when I need a break, I know when I’m having a breakdown, I know when my body says 'no' and when it says 'yes', so I have to listen to it."

"Oh, I love those people. They treat me like a human being – like a girl. Let me tell you when we go and do shoots, they just hire a whole makeup crew to pamper me and I love that."

"I own it because it gives me so much pride in being a woman in a space mostly deemed as a men's sport."

"I love the face beats, lipsticks, eyelashes – just everything about it. I love everything about it. You know what, Puma, let’s just end it there because I can just go on and on about Puma!"

"Before achieving everything that we achieved, we set goals and said this is what we want at this time. And we achieved everything, every goal that was set."

"I am very open to learning from my mistakes, and I’m really grateful for them."

"Life has been amazing, spending time with my family and that’s what I’ve been longing for many years, as you know as a professional athlete you travel a lot ... you don’t get time to sit down. I don’t know if players talk about it, I’m taking time to take care of my mental health."

"When I talk about mental health, I’m not saying I wanted to kill myself. You get tired as a person, that’s why there is sick leave, and people go on vacations, I needed that."

"My inspiration is to take South African football forward."

"I demand more of myself and my teammates. I want to win things – this is where my teammates and I are supposed to show up. This is where we are supposed to show the world who we are, right?"

"Barriers are only in the mind. If you truly want something, do whatever it takes. Invest in yourself if you’re not getting the support you desire."

"There is always something that feels unfulfilled when I wake up."

"NEVER give up. Always lift your head up. Always be positive."

"I am motivated that women’s football has been understated for a long time, now at least we have an opportunity to play. My mom used to tell me how she loved football but they never got the chance to play."

"I want to do more talking on the field of play."

"Teamwork will win games for us because football is about the team not individuals...we're here as a team, representing our country."

"Yes I did and I think there are more young girls now who are seeing that it is possible to become a professional soccer player because of others who have led the way."

"I believe that this says a lot about women’s football in general in South Africa. It means women’s football is growing in a positive manner. Each and every staff member and players gave their best and that’s why we were able to get the gold medal at the end of the tournament. This is a positive sign for the future of our national team."

"I’m really grateful and I know the people from home are very proud of me. We play very good football in Hammersdale and there aren’t a lot of girls that play football."

"My mother was a netball player and my father played football. So, I think my parents' love for sports really pushed me. I’m also happy that I got into football because if it wasn’t for it maybe I would be a disrespectful child and it just taught me to treat people with kindness."

"It’s actually not easy to juggle school and football."

"Sometimes you've to go to camp, while you have assignments. So it’s daunting but doable."

"From day one, it became clear that no sports career lasts forever. We had to be as passionate about our studies as were about football."

"I think every player needs to be patient because their time is coming as well."