Ascent Soccer and the Embassy of Iceland in Malawi announce equity partnership

On September 12th, at a launch event at the Ascent Soccer Academy campus in Mtandire, the Embassy of Iceland in Malawi announced a two-year partnership agreement in support of equity and opportunity for girls through football.

Through this partnership, the 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.

Building on a long-standing relationship between the Academy and Embassy, which has already seen three Ascent squads travel 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.

Alongside these international opportunities, Ascent will deliver grassroots projects in Nkhotakota and Mangochi, 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.

In a landmark initiative, Ascent will also organize Malawi’s first-ever National U12 Girls’ Competition. The tournament, set for Lilongwe in 2026, will bring together winners from regional competitions in Blantyre, Mzuzu, and the capital, 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.

Rory Murphy, Ascent’s Programme Coordination Lead, described the agreement as a major step forward in the academy’s mission to develop women’s football in Malawi.

“I think it’s clear 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. 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.”

Davíð Bjarnason, Head of Mission at the Embassy of Iceland in Lilongwe, was happy to witness the start of the project: “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."