Jennifer Cudjoe

"I am super excited that I finally have played at the WAFCON. This is a dream come true."

"Football has provided me with a platform to meet important people and play with and against the best of the best. These are opportunities that I do not take for granted."

"Playing in the USA gave me the mentality to work harder than everybody else, to always be ready."

"I love DC [Washington DC] because the people are very respectful, a predominantly Black community gives a feeling of home. You will see so many Ghanaians, Ugandans, Ethiopians basically, you will see people who are the same. People who will take you as a sister and make sure that you do not feel out of place."

"Growing up as a young girl, it seemed impossible to do things that men do."

"Soccer is a huge sport and all the boys and girls play that. But in our culture it seems like it is only for men. My family and friends, everybody would be like You have to be in the kitchen."

"There are still changes that need to be made to help women’s soccer in Ghana. And I hope one day I can help to make that change, help push it to be more professional, you know, it’s difficult to be seen (by scouts and agents) which makes it hard for them (women’s players) to get out."

"Sometimes I keep reminding myself like, How did this happen? How did this happen? You know, but I feel like it’s hard work and if you believe in it, and you have the right people around you to push you to work harder. For me, people see where I am now. But it’s not easy, this journey."

"Soccer is not equal for men and women."

"I never felt that’s what I was born to do. I could do more than that, so that is something that I always wanted to change."

"But in this world right now, it’s different. Men get everything they want, women get less. If we ask for more, it looks as if we ask for too much."

"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."