Kholosa Biyana

"My dad was my support system, he would drive me to practice every day and he would have to drive back home an hour away, as I was in boarding school and they would not allow me to leave the premises alone."

"Education is very important. I know I love football and I know I can make a living out of it but things are different in South Africa, as we do not have a professional league here."

"I know there will come a stage when I won’t be able to play professional football."

"I need to have something to fall back on. Injuries occur sometimes and I should be ready if something like that happens. Not only will education help me in the future, but I can also apply the knowledge I gain while playing soccer; aspects such as injury prevention, rehabilitation, sport psychology among others."

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

"Through education, you can achieve your goals."

"Not everyone will represent their country at national level. Education is the best thing you can fall back on if things don’t work out the way you want them to. Let’s get that qualification!"

"I have learnt a lot from it, from playing against the best players in the world. It is an experience that no one can take away from me."

"The smiles they put on my face that day… it hit me that they needed us more. I realised that when I made it, I had to go back and help. I want to show people who think they have boundaries that there are no limits."

"The first thing you need as a footballer is a ball. Then you need shoes. If you have that, you’ve got the confidence to play. That changes everything."

"It all starts with development. The earlier kids have access to proper gear and training, the better their chances of making it. If brands invest now, they’re not only changing lives, they’re strengthening our national teams, our leagues, our future."

"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."

"It’s important to remember where you come from and to use your success to uplift others. I want these young players to know that their dreams are valid. They must know that with hard work and dedication, they can achieve anything."

"I know that I love football and can sustain myself by making a living out of it but circumstances might change – like getting an injury and obviously reaching a stage where I won't be able to play professional football and I need something to fall back on, in this case, it's my education. It also helps me apply the knowledge that I have while playing the game: aspects such as prevention of injury, sport psychology, etc."

"The partnership with adidas allows me to dream big about my goals and aspirations. I can fully concentrate on my performance without stressing about boots and bras that will help me to perform extremely well."

"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."

"Being a radiologist helped me because I knew that if I gave myself enough time to recover, there'd be less chance of me getting injured again."

"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."

"I know that one day it will also pay off and that once I am retired from football, I have something to fall back on."

"I always make sure no day passes without me not going to the library. I have to always ensure I am ahead with my studying and finish my assignments very early."

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

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

"I think it's because most females, they all want to go into coaching actually and I think they also don't realise that they are some other branches that you can go into and I think this one of them and that's where I saw that there was a gap and there was a lot of opportunities."

"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"

"Football is not just about becoming a great player it’s also about becoming a great person."

"We need people to invest in women’s football. The team managed to qualify without a professional league. We need a professional league so that players can be committed to the game and the national team needs to play very international break against the best teams, get exposure and play abroad."