I started playing football with the Mutola Cup when I was 14, with my schoolmates. Our coaches taught us to make good decisions and to stay away from early unions and unintended pregnancies. Today I work at Maringuen Primary School, and I am still a Mutola Cup coach, hoping to inspire other girls to follow my example. Everything I am today is thanks to what I learned through the Mutola Cup.Felizarda Former player, now a teacher and coach · Inhambane
Supported by
Futebol dá Força · Mozambique The Mutola Cup:
The Mutola Cup:
where girls play, learn and lead
Mozambique's national girls' football league. Since 2012, it has used the game to keep girls aged 8–16 in school, safe and confident about their future.
Why it matters
Football as a way to stay in school, safe and heard
Girls in Mozambique still face serious barriers to education, health and opportunity. Only 31% move on to secondary school.1 Nearly half are married,2 and nearly half have been pregnant,3 by the age of 18.
Football, combined with structured education and trusted mentors, gives girls a safe space to build confidence, teamwork and leadership, learn about their rights, and meet role models who show them a different future.
The Mutola Cup reaches girls aged 8–16, and also engages the community coaches, team captains, families, teachers and local leaders who shape girls' opportunities.
National reach · 2026 season
One league, ten provinces
Futebol dá Força (FDF) started in 2012 with one local team on a single dirt pitch in Maputo, set up by co-founders Cecilia Safaee and Sara ‘Sarita’ Jacob Simone. Today, the Mutola Cup, Mozambique’s first national girls’ football league, reaches more than 46,000 girls in 93 districts across 10 provinces.
46,110girls playing
3,074community coaches
1,537teams
93districts
10provinces
| Province | Districts | Players | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maputo City | 2 | 900 | 60 |
| Maputo | 8 | 4,020 | 268 |
| Gaza | 12 | 5,340 | 356 |
| Inhambane | 14 | 9,360 | 624 |
| Sofala | 11 | 5,670 | 378 |
| Manica | 12 | 5,070 | 338 |
| Zambézia | 9 | 3,960 | 264 |
| Nampula | 7 | 2,340 | 156 |
| Niassa | 9 | 6,300 | 420 |
| Tete | 9 | 3,150 | 210 |
| Total | 93 | 46,110 | 3,074 |
Cabo Delgado is not currently part of the programme.
What changes
Safe spaces to play. Empowerment that lasts a lifetime.
Among girls who played in the 2025 Mutola Cup,4 compared with national figures for Mozambique:
99%of girls who play football with FDF
continue to secondary school
Nationally, only 31% of girls make that move.1
<1%of girls who play football with FDF
experience early pregnancy
Nationally, 48% of girls have been pregnant by 18.3
<1%of girls who play football with FDF
experience child marriage
Nationally, 48% of girls are married by 18.2
Sources
- UNESCO (2022). A supportive sisterhood creates education and leadership opportunities for girls in Mozambique.
- Girls Not Brides (2026). Child Marriage Atlas: Mozambique.
- UNICEF Mozambique (2025). Gender and Adolescents: Mozambique Thematic Brief (DHS 2022).
- Força Foundation (2025). Annual Impact Report: outcomes for Mutola Cup players, 2025 season.
How it works
From the local pitch to the national final
The league runs in five phases, coordinated with the District Services for Education, Youth and Technology (SDEJT).
District
Every registered team in the district plays a round-robin.
Zonal
District winners meet in knockout rounds within their zone.
Provincial
Up to four teams play at one accessible venue in each province.
Regional
Provincial winners compete across the South, Centre and North.
National
Regional winners play for the national title, usually in Maputo.
Futebol dá Força covers transport allowances and meals for qualifying teams, accommodation for the regional and national phases, referees and the awareness sessions.
More than a match
Every game is also a lesson
Thirty minutes before each match, the players attend an awareness session. At half-time, a session for families and spectators takes the message to the whole community. Monthly themes are the same across the country.
Girls' and children's rightsSexual and reproductive healthPreventing early pregnancyPreventing child marriageGender-based violenceHIV and STI awarenessLife skills and leadershipStaying in school
“Football is where I feel safe — it’s where I belong.”ErcaMutola Cup player · Massinga
No school, no league
Every girl who plays must be enrolled in school for the current academic year. Taking part in football is directly linked to staying in education.
Coaches who become mentors
Community coaches are trained to run gender-sensitive sessions, create safe spaces and act as role models. Team captains are supported to lead and inspire their teammates.
“Through this tournament, we’ve been able to support girls not just in football, but also in their education, helping them avoid unplanned pregnancies and stay in school.”Benedito AugustoMutola Cup coach · Massinga
Voices from the Mutola Cup
From players to teachers
Felizarda and Guilherme grew up playing in the Mutola Cup in Inhambane. Today they are teachers and role models, giving back to the community that empowered them with a safe place to play, learn and grow. Felizarda still coaches in the league, so a new generation of girls can see what is possible. Guilherme teaches Physical Education at her school, passing on the values she learned on the pitch.
I played in the Mutola Cup for six years. Afterwards I continued my studies and graduated in Physical Education and Sports. Today I am a PE teacher at my school. The programme taught us values, how to respect others and how to value our bodies as girls. It's not just about playing football. It's about learning values, developing as young women and growing up healthy.Guilherme Former player, now a PE teacher · Inhambane
The wider community
When girls play, the whole community changes
"When my daughter first wanted to play football, I did not allow her. I believed football was only for men. Over time, I understood that football is not just a game. It is educational. Now I often watch her matches. I am proud of her."AugustaMother of a Mutola Cup player · Gaza
"Girls learn many things here: about sexuality, about the importance of going to school. Our motto is the empowerment of girls, so they can follow their dreams."Manuel MarameMutola Cup coach since 2013 · Inhambane
Global recognition · 2025
Sport & Gender Award
At the Sport Impact Awards in Kigali, Rwanda, the Mutola Cup was recognised as a national league empowering girls through football, building confidence and leadership, and helping to reduce early marriage and school dropout.
Accepted by co-founder and CEO Sarita Jacob Simone.2years running
Funding partner
Backed by the UEFA Foundation for Children
The UEFA Foundation for Children has funded the Mutola Cup for two years running. Its support takes the league nationwide, especially the district phase, so that girls in rural and underserved areas can take part. In 2026, it also provided 400 footballs, distributed to teams in every province.
How you can help
The league is growing faster than its resources
Every season more girls want to play. To keep the Mutola Cup safe, well run and growing, we need support with:
More coaches
There are not enough trained coaches for the number of players and teams.
Footballs and kit
Teams need footballs, bibs, cones and whistles to train properly.
Coach training
Funding to train coaches in every province, not just a few.
Monitoring visits
Funding for visits that support and oversee the league across the country.
Climate resilience
Recurrent flooding disrupts training and matches in affected areas.
Get in touch
Partners, foundations and companies can help the Mutola Cup reach more girls.
Support the Mutola Cup or email [email protected]Sarita Jacob Simone · Co-founder and CEO, Força Mozambique Follow the season on Instagram@forcamozambique
Partners
Built together
Futebol dá Força leads the Mutola Cup, drawing on more than a decade of experience in girls' football, coach development and rights-based education in Mozambique.
Government of MozambiqueMinistry of Education and Culture · Ministry of Health · Ministry of Youth and Sports · Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Action · District Services for Education, Youth and Technology (SDEJT)
FootballMozambican Football Federation · Lurdes Mutola Foundation
Funders and partnersUEFA Foundation for Children · Football for Worldwide Unity
CommunitiesLocal youth associations and women's rights organisations