Ascent Soccer and Iceland Embassy in Malawi sign partnership in support of equity and opportunity for girls through football

* The project aims to increase girls’ participation in football nationwide, expand coach education and resources, create transformative opportunities for Malawi’s most talented female players

* And strengthen Ascent’s capacity to drive long-term change in the women’s game under an innovative ‘Full Circle Equity Programme’

By Duncan Mlanjira

Ascent Soccer, the country’s most successful football academy whose campus is based at Mtandire in Lilongwe, has signed a two-year partnership agreement with the Embassy of Iceland in Malawi in support of equity and opportunity for girls through football.

In a joint statement, the two institutions indicate that through this partnership, the Icelandic Embassy and Ascent Soccer will collaborate to advance women’s football in Malawi under an innovative ‘Full Circle Equity Programme’.

“The project aims to increase girls’ participation in football nationwide, expand coach education and resources, create transformative opportunities for Malawi’s most talented female players and strengthen Ascent’s capacity to drive long-term change in the women’s game,” says the statement.

“Building on a long-standing relationship between the academy and the Embassy, which has already seen three Ascent Soccer squads traveling to Iceland to compete in the prestigious Rey Cup — as well as the delivery of grassroots programmes aimed to develop girls’ football on the lakeshore — the new agreement will see Ascent return to Iceland in 2026 and 2027 with both girls’ and boys’ teams.

“Ascent female players will also spend additional time training with a professional women’s team in Reykjavik, while Ascent will host Icelandic interns in Malawi.

“In addition, an Ascent staff member will travel to Iceland for professional development, returning with new skills to help grow the game locally.”

The statement adds that alongside these international opportunities, Ascent will deliver grassroots projects in Nkhotakota and Mangochi to provide support for 60 coaches, and distribute equipment to 60 girls’ teams — “directly addressing barriers such as knowledge and resource deficits in the female game”.

Through the landmark initiative, Ascent Soccer will also organise Malawi’s first-ever national U12 girls’ competition set for Lilongwe in 2026, which will bring together winners from regional competitions in Blantyre, Mzuzu and the Capital, Lilongwe — offering vital competition and visibility for the country’s youngest female players.

Finally, the partnership will see an expansion of Ascent’s region-leading girls programme with increased staffing and boarding house expansion.

The statement quotes Ascent’s programme coordination lead, Rory Murphy as describing the agreement as a major step forward in the academy’s mission to develop women’s football in Malawi.

“I think it’s clear for all to see that Malawi possesses an abundance of talent in women’s football when you see the Scorchers’ success as well as the emergence of players like Ascent’s own Rose Kadzere, Faith Chinzimu and Leticia Chinyamula,” he said.

“At Ascent, we are determined to not only find more world-class talents and help them achieve their dreams, but also to grow participation across the country.

“We have long been a driving force in women’s football development in Malawi, and this support from the Icelandic Embassy will enable us to continue that work by growing the game from the ground up with invaluable grassroots programmes and provide transformative opportunities for our players in Iceland.

“We are extremely grateful for the trust and support of the Embassy and look forward to making meaningful change together.”

On their part, the Iceland Embassy’s Head of Mission in Lilongwe, Davíð Bjarnason, was happy to witness the start of the project, saying: “It is essential that boys and girls have equal opportunities to participate in sports and pursue education.

“With the inspiring role models Ascent is producing for Malawi’s girls, we can already see the positive impact of this work and the remarkable things that happen when dedication meets opportunity.

“There is enormous potential for the women’s game in Malawi, and we are committed to assisting with that so girls are given the space they both deserve and are entitled to.”

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