Empower girls through football and further in life

Project Report | Mar 11, 2026
Creating Safe Spaces for 34,000 Girls Through Foot

By Kadia Sow | CEO

Across Mozambique this year, football fields have once again become spaces where girls gather to play, learn, and lead.

Through the Mutola Cup — Mozambique’s national girls’ grassroots football league — thousands of girls train weekly with their teams while participating in workshops on leadership, health, and girls’ rights. Integrated into the public school system, the league combines sport with life-skills education, creating safe environments where girls can grow in confidence and knowledge.

In 2025, the Mutola Cup reached 34,010 girls across 10 provinces, supported by 1,816 community coaches and leaders working closely with schools and local communities.

A Season That Reached Communities Nationwide

The Mutola Cup season unfolds across Mozambique — beginning with local training sessions and matches and progressing through district and provincial competitions.

This year the program reached:

34,010 girls participating in football and educational workshops
926 football teams
1,816 community coaches and leaders
57 districts across 10 provinces

Each training session combines football with educational discussions that address topics such as girls’ rights, menstrual health, sexual and reproductive health, and the importance of continuing education.

For many girls, these sessions provide one of the few safe spaces where they can openly discuss these topics and gain the confidence to express themselves.

Football Fields That Become Classrooms

One of the most powerful aspects of the Mutola Cup is that learning happens alongside sport.

Before matches, during halftime, and after games, coaches facilitate workshops that help girls develop confidence, communication skills, and knowledge about their bodies and their rights.

As Erca, a player from Inhambane Province, explains:

“With my coaches, I learned to live by my values — respecting teammates, staying dedicated, focusing on school, and understanding my rights and responsibilities. The Mutola Cup helped me stay away from early pregnancy and other risks.

Football is where I feel safe — it’s where I belong.”

Through these sessions, girls build practical life skills — from decision-making to leadership — that help them navigate challenges during adolescence.

The Difference Safe Spaces Can Make

National statistics highlight the challenges many girls face during adolescence in Mozambique:

Only 58% complete primary school nationally (World Bank, 2022)
Only 31% of girls transition to secondary school (UNESCO, 2022)
9% of girls become mothers by age 15 (UNICEF, 2025)
13% of girls enter child marriage by age 15 (Girls Not Brides, 2026)

Among girls participating in Futebol dá Força programs, the outcomes are significantly different:

99% of Força girls complete primary school
99% transition to secondary education
Less than 1% experience early pregnancy
Less than 1% enter child marriage

As Coach Benedito from Inhambane Province says:

“At first, I faced resistance from parents who did not allow their daughters to play. Through conversations and trust, that changed. Today, parents come to watch and support their daughters.

The Mutola Cup is not just about football. It helps girls stay in school, avoid early pregnancy, and build better opportunities for their future. It is about changing lives.”

Looking Ahead

As the Mutola Cup season concludes, the program continues to grow stronger through the dedication of community coaches, teachers, and local partners across Mozambique.

Thanks to your support, 34,010 girls have had access to safe spaces where they can play football, learn important life skills, and build the confidence to shape their futures.

In 2026, we aim to reach 46,000 girls, expanding opportunities for even more young players to participate in football, education, and leadership activities across the country.

Together, we continue working to ensure that girls across Mozambique have the opportunity to learn, lead, and thrive.

Thank you for helping make this possible.

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Nov 17, 2025
Mutola Cup: Girls Learning & Leading

By Kadia Sow | CEO

Thirteen years after Futebol dá Força began in Mozambique, the heart of our work remains the same: creating spaces where girls feel safe, supported, and able to shape their own futures. Thanks to your support, the Mutola Cup — our national girls’ grassroots football league — continues to bring thousands of girls together across the country, combining football with life-changing education.

A Season of Progress Across Mozambique

This year’s Mutola Cup season has continued to advance with provincial finals taking place across Manica, Maputo City, Inhambane, Zambezia, Gaza, and Nampula. These moments have brought communities together and showcased the power of sport to drive social change. Across 10 of Mozambique’s 11 provinces, the Mutola Cup continues to reach more than 34,500 girls, supported by 1,151 teams and 2,274 trained volunteer coaches, all working closely with local partners and communities.

While the overall numbers remain steady, the momentum on the ground has grown stronger. Each province has contributed to a season filled with pride, visibility, and strong community engagement.

Stories From the Field

Celebrated on the International Day of the Girl, the Inhambane finals captured the spirit of the Mutola Cup — a spirit reflected in the words of players and coaches like these:

Graça — Player, Inhambane Province

“I really like playing football, because when we play, they also teach us to respect older people. To respect each other — it's not just about playing and winning. Just stepping onto the field to play makes me feel like I've already won.”

Coach Manuel — Inhambane Province

“In the workshops, they learn many things — from SRHR to the importance of going to school.The motto is the empowerment of girls, so they can follow their dreams.”

Across all provinces, from inter-district tournaments to municipal-level competitions, the atmosphere was the same: joy, teamwork, and communities rallying behind girls who are growing in confidence and leadership.

A Moment of Global Recognition

This season also brought a milestone we are deeply proud of. Our Co-Founder and Mozambique CEO, Sarita Jacob Simone, accepted the Sport Impact Award for Sport & Gender, presented to Futebol dá Força at the 2025 Sport Impact Awards in Kigali, Rwanda.

The ceremony gathered global changemakers using sport for equality and inclusion — a moment that highlighted how far our work has come in Mozambique.

Why This Matters

Força girls are showing what becomes possible when they have safe spaces, supportive coaches, and access to information about their rights. Through the workshops held during each training session and match, girls also build practical life skills — from confidence and communication to decision-making and understanding their bodies — helping them navigate challenges on and off the field.

Child Marriage: Less than 1% of Força girls enter child marriage, compared to 17% nationally by age 15 (Girls Not Brides, 2024).
Adolescent Pregnancy: Under 1% of Força girls (under 16) experience early pregnancy, while 14% of girls nationally become mothers by 15 (UNICEF, 2021).
Primary School Completion: 99% of Força girls finish primary school, compared to 55.9% nationally (UNICEF, 2023).
Secondary School Transition: 99% of Força girls enter secondary school, while only 30% of girls nationally make this transition (World Bank Gender Data Portal, 2022).

These differences show how transformative it is when girls are given support, safety, information, and the chance to lead — and why this work remains so urgent.

Your Support Drives This Change

This year has brought challenges, but your generosity ensures that over 34,000 girls continue to have access to safe spaces, supportive role models, and the knowledge they need to make empowered decisions.

Because of you, girls across Mozambique are learning that their dreams matter — and that they have the right to pursue them.

We are deeply grateful. Together, we keep moving forward.

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Jul 23, 2025
13 Years of Football Giving Girls a Future

By Kadia Sow | CEO

Thirteen years ago, Futebol dá Força (FDF) was born from one powerful idea: Healthy girls shape their own future. Since then, what began in Mozambique has grown into a global movement, reaching over 135,000 girls across 33 countries—transforming not only games, but lives and entire communities.

This Past Season in Mozambique
Thanks to your support, the past season was one of powerful impact:
• 34,530 girls empowered through football
• Across 1,151 teams
• Led by 2,274 trained volunteer coaches
• In 70 districts nationwide

Behind every number lies a story—and this year, we’re telling it through powerful images and a video of the 10th edition of the Mutola Cup, our national girls’ league now underway across Mozambique. See it come to life here: https://shorturl.at/2OgP5

A Decade of Change: Scenes from the Field
We celebrate ten seasons of tireless work and unstoppable spirit. From dusty pitches to organized tournaments, FDF coaches don’t just train girls to play football—they equip them to navigate life with confidence.
We hear from girls who now know their rights and understand the importance of staying in school. We witness playful chants and laughter turn into conversations about sexuality, early marriage, and drug prevention. And we meet parents who, once hesitant, now stand proud as their daughters dribble toward a brighter future.

Changing Minds, Opening Futures
Through workshops, dialogues, and community-building sessions, girls are learning that football isn’t just for boys—and that their lives hold unlimited potential.

“At first, I didn’t allow my daughter to play. I thought football was only for boys. But over time, I changed my mind. I see how football educates and helps young girls avoid early unions and drugs.”
— Augusta, mother of an FDF player in Inhambane

These community shifts are the heart of our work. And they are only possible thanks to you.

Your Support Makes This Possible
This has been a year of challenges—economic and political. But your continued support means that nearly 35,000 girls in Mozambique now have access to:
• Safe spaces
• Empowering role models
• Lifelong skills through sport and mentorship

We are profoundly grateful. With your support, we’re not stopping here—our new goal is to reach 40,000 girls and keep building a future where every girl can thrive.

Thank you.

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