"I want to help develop young girls -- and not necessarily [only] young girls, but players in general, and just share my expertise and my knowledge that I have gained over the years to other female football players."

"Choose your friends but focus on yourself and believe in yourself. So that is most important if you believe in yourself, no one can take that from you."

"As long as I keep going, nothing will stop me."

"In my opinion, no head coach in the world would accept interference of the executives in technical football affairs."

"Before that I wanted to be a coach, but I didn’t know how big I could be as a coach."

"I didn’t even think that I would reach 100, never mind 150. I was just playing soccer and representing my country. I was just doing what I love. I didn’t even expect that one day I will be one of the most capped players in senior women’s football. I was just playing soccer, being a girl from a rural area, just doing what I love, that’s why I said I feel blessed that I am amongst those legends in Africa."

"At first it was really difficult to fit in. The boys wouldn't pass me the ball, they didn't accept me into the team so I was kind of isolated from everything."

"Women are powerful and strong."

"The reason I continued was the determination of wanting to do well. I knew I had it in me to be a good player. I wasn't weak, I could kick a ball and I just loved playing the game."

"I believe that Africa has quality and phenomenal talent that clubs abroad are benefitting from because of the lack of high-level competitions in our respective countries."

"The way I loved football, I just wanted to be around the football pitch; I would ref sometimes."

"What has stood up for me the most is fighting for one another on the field even when I make a mistake my teammate is there to motivate me and that has kept me going and made me want to give my all."

"I believe in living a life that’s free of the fear of judgement, the fear of criticism and the fear of not being enough. And when fear does creep in, I confront it and fight back against it."

"Soccer became my escape and comfort."

"My flow of the game depends on the tempo."

"Nothing worth having comes easy and I worked hard to make my dream a reality."

"Football is my life and I wouldn't want to live without it. Every day is an opportunity to get better, whether you are injured and you want to heal to get better, or you don't have confidence and you need to be that better player."

"If you really want something and you put all your effort in it together as a group, then anything is possible."

"The positive energy and vibe that I bring into the team, by merely playing the drum, is very important to me."

"I never punish. I never shout. I never swear. What are they afraid of?"

"White girls played hockey and netball but my love was always football."

"I am the only coach in the world who’s always at the subs training because I know it’s awkward as a sub."

"Our supporters are our 12th player on the pitch and we know that their energy and enthusiasm can make a huge difference to our performance. We value their contribution, and we’ll do everything possible to ensure that we give them a reason to celebrate on Saturday."

"We understand the significance of our supporters and we aim to give them a reason to cheer. They have stood by us through thick and thin and it’s our responsibility to put in a performance that they can be proud of."

"I believe that women have an inner strength and are able to accomplish anything we put our minds to. Be yourself, be a leader, be courageous and strong, take risks and trust that you can achieve anything you want."

"I am a firm believer that discipline, hard work, and passion are the best form of ingredients for a player to last as long as I have in the game."

"Equal pay isn’t just about salary. Are we getting equal platforms? Equal access? Equal broadcasting rights? Women’s football must be visible for people to know about it."

"I started playing football when I was seven, mostly playing with boys at home."

"The nearest women’s team I could play for was in a township and as the only white girl it was difficult at first. I had to learn a different culture and background and a whole different language of the game. I had never seen such living conditions in my life. Some of the girls didn’t have any shoes or football boots and I was getting football boots every second or third month. It made me realise how privileged I was and what I had."

"Football gave me everything. I’m truly grateful."

"But, it’s also not that difficult because we have been in this team for so many years, so we know what is expected from us, so we have to make sure that we keep the kids motivated to do better"

"[For the new players] it’s a matter of them adjusting to the game plan of the team so I believe that even with coach calling them, she saw something in them of which it will help boost the team"

"It’s a huge responsibility because we have so many young ones in this team so we (the older players) have to motivate them and show them the ropes"

"In our first match, we were nervous and were not yet aware of the situation. But we managed to pass through this one"

"In our first match, we were nervous and were not yet aware of the situation. But we managed to pass through this one. We came to qualify to the final game; this is our level and we are ready for AS Mande"

"I’m grateful for the support I was getting from my wife, family and team. That really helped me bounce back from that setback, even though it was not an easy journey"

"I’m not a person who likes to become comfortable in one position – I want to constantly improve as a player. I never want to hear people say ‘Bambanani can’t play football anymore’. So, I need to always work hard, especially because age is also not on my side"

"I will continue playing until I feel that I can’t do it anymore. Everything we do in life is about timing and I feel as though I can still continue playing for the national team. After all, everyone is entitled to their own decisions,"

"Our defensive structure was solid and we capitalized on their weaknesses at key moments. The communication between the backline, midfield and attack was excellent and that made it easier to control the tempo."

"But I’m happy for the retired players. They raised the level of women’s football in general, not just at Banyana Banyana"

"One thing the general public does not know about me is that I work very hard behind the scenes; I even have a personal trainer. I train twice a day, with my club and then with the personal trainer. So, I put in a lot of practice, especially for my passing. What you see on the field is a result of that hard work and practice"

"I feel we did very well as a team, especially with our build-up to the game. We worked hard in training to sharpen our combinations and it was fulfilling to see several of the ideas we practiced come to life today. It was an intense match, but we kept our focus from start to finish"

"The coaching team was very clear in their instructions, and we all played with purpose and confidence. We are growing in every match and this result shows what we can achieve when we stay united and disciplined."

"As defenders, we take great pride in protecting our goal, and the fact that we have not conceded all season is something we work extremely hard for in training. Every player—from the forwards pressing high to the goalkeeper—contributes to that defensive effort."

"It was a hard-fought game from start to finish. We knew it was not going to be easy, and the University of Fort Hare challenged us, especially in the first half. I honestly feel we could have scored more goals — we created some good chances but just lacked that final touch at times."

"What made the difference today was our perseverance. We worked hard for each other, stayed composed, and stuck to the game plan. We implemented everything we had practiced throughout the week, and that helped us maintain our structure under pressure"

"We spoke together after the loss of the last match. We agreed that we should keep fighting and that’s what we did"