"It felt good, the start felt really good. I definitely would like to get hurdles eight, nine and 10 a little bit more efficient in the next round, because everybody’s coming all guns blazing in the semis and so if I want to make it to the final, I have to be as sharp as possible"

"You know, I try to keep a clear mind and a loose body, I try to focus on what I can control. I know I can do all the hard work that’s possible but it’s God who gives me the strength to keep going and provides the opportunities and I’m just really grateful, and I keep that in mind and just enjoy the process. I mean, it’s not going to last forever, so while I’m in it, I enjoy what I’m doing"

"Process is training hard and trusting in God. That’s all it is. Trusting in God, trusting in the training that I put in, trusting in the abilities that I have, and believing without a doubt that everything will work out for the good of those who love the Lord and were called for his purpose. If that’s me, that’s me"

"I am lucky to be working with the best manager in the world; the Demadonna Athletics Promotions. Gianni has been so good to me, he has been calling personally to offer support and encouragement whenever I have been having challenges in my training"

"In athletics, it reaches a time when one will want to move on to a different distance, and I believe that my time to move on to the marathon is now"

"That injury has kept me off but am back, ready to take on any race ahead of me. This is my first race after injury and a win means a lot to me. The race was too slow and I decided to take the battle by myself"

"My coach has been so supportive all through my training and has never ever lost hope in me, even when I was injured. On Saturday, part of the reasons why I will be pushing hard to run a good race will be to appreciate my coach for all the support he has been giving me and to make him happy. Another person that I am grateful to for making it possible for me to emerge out of my injury woes is my physiotherapist, Shadrack Kochong"

"I am very happy because we practiced enough and the coach emphasized the benefits of winning this game and this tournament as it will expose our talent, so what I can say is that I promise our fans we will continue to practice towards fulfilling our dreams of becoming good football players"

"I will now fight for a place in the team to World Cross Country because I feel I am in good form"

"I was to make my marathon debut in 2016 at the same marathon event, but an injury derailed my plans. Since then, it has not been a smooth journey for me as I have had a lot of ups and downs with injuries. I would train up to a point, and then get injured again"

"The highest moment in my running career was when I won the world cross country title in 2006, in Fukuoka. I believe that, whether it is a junior or a senior title, the fact remains that you are the best in the whole world. A gold medal is a gold medal"

"I want to get a personal best and finish in the top three"

"So far in my training not only am I looking at time but also how I am feeling"

"That is my aim. I want to be in top three. I think 2:23 or 2:22 is within reach"

"I asked myself, ‘Will I make it to the podium?’ I decided to run my race, and it worked out well for me"

"If given a chance to represent my country, I will be glad because it’s a global event and prestigious to compete at that level"

"I am happy that I improved my personal best from last year"

"After a break to recover my first training sessions went so well that I really wanted to run another marathon in the autumn. I am in the best shape of my life and did not want to waste it"

"When the pacemakers dropped because they were pacing up to 30km, I decided to run my race"

"I had one lady who was running alongside me until the 41km mark, but I decided to make the final push, edged her out, and secured second place"

"I'm so excited to have emerged second in my first major marathon. Special thanks go to my husband, who gave me full support and guidance during my preparations because if I was doing it alone, I couldn't have made it"

"Mostly I judge myself when we do long intervals on the roads. We run 4km at about 3:30 (per kilometre) pace. Then for one kilometre easier at 4:00 pace. We do that five times. If I finish that feeling like I can continue that’s when I know I am feeling good and ready to go"

"At 40 kilometres I saw that I could improve my personal best. I hope to return here next year and improve my record"

"Frankfurt is the perfect race for me. I am really excited to have the chance to come back"

"While we were lining up, I was scared looking at my fellow elite runners because their personal best times were higher than mine,"

"I was very pleased about the result I had - with a very small preparation - for Hamburg, so that result was very good for me. I had a couple of small injuries along the way, so I had to scrap a couple of sessions"

"I appreciate the schools that I got to pass through in my education as I tried to balance between my running career and school work. Teachers from my former primary school in my home village of Kaptabuk and those at the Riruta Girls High School in Nairobi were always so supportive. They would take me through what other students learned while I was out of school to compete"

"I have big hopes for Venice. Hopefully I will be able to lower my personal best"

"I have trained well. But, being my debut, I don’t have enough experience to be able to say the exact time I will be aiming for in this race. I will not be running against anyone or going to be under any pressure. I am just going to run my race"

"I am so excited to finally announce my debut"

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

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

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

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

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

"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."

"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 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."

"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."

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

"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."

"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."

"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."

"We are all serving the same Ghana as the male players and coaches."

"Why can't female players and coaches be celebrated as well?"

"When I have the ball, she knows what I'll do next."

"The Black Queens were the first team to represent the country at the world cup level but the kind of treatment and promotion we get from Ghanaians especially the media is on the low side."