LYON, FRANCE – MARCH 26: Tabitha Chawinga of Olympique Lyonnais celebrates scoring her team’s third … More
If Lyon win the Champions League, Tabitha Chawinga will become the first Malawian to win the competition, which she hopes can inspire a generation of girls in Africa.
The 28-year-old Chawinga is one of the French side’s rapier-like front three, alongside fellow forwards Kadidiatou Diani and Melchie Dumornay. The attacking trident has cut a swathe through opposition defenses this season to the extent that, Ada Hegerberg, the all-time record goalscorer in the UEFA Women’s Champions League, and Éugenie Le Sommer, the club’s all-time record goalscorer, have both been kept out of the Lyon starting line-up.
Last Saturday, Chawinga was once more a starter as Lyon won the first leg of the UEFA Champions League semi-final away to Arsenal. Speaking after the game, Chawinga said “first of all, I would like to thank God for everything, what God gives us today. I think the team was prepared to win. I think today, the best team won. Arsenal is a very good team, but of course, it is not over yet. We have the return match so we can only say it is over after we play with them on our home ground.”
LONDON, ENGLAND – APRIL 19: Tabitha Chawinga of Lyon gets between Katie McCabe and Steph Catley of … More
After leading for most of the match, Chawinga was replaced by Hegerberg immediately after Arsenal drew level with the substitution leading to Lyon going back in front within three minutes. As Chawinga explained “the time when they equalised, in my mind – and I think this was for everyone – we were focused to come back and to score another goal. We are thankful we scored the second goal and that makes us happy as a team.”
This season, Chawinga has been the fastest player in the women’s Champions League, clocking a top speed of 31.3 km/hour, just slightly ahead of her team-mate Ellie Carpenter. Despite scoring only nine times herself, that speed has stretched opposition back-line and given Lyon other players the space to score over 100 goals this season.
Upon signing a three year deal with the club last summer, Chawinga opened up about the hurdles she had to overcome to become a professional. “My parents didn’t allow me to my play football but I forced myself. I am here not only for Tabitha but for the country of Malawi.”
Speaking to The Guardian in 2021, Chawinga admitted she had been forced, as a 13-year-old, to strip in public to prove she was female during a match in Malawi. “I had never been so devastated and I cried at the embarrassment that I had been exposed to.”
As a young girl, Chawinga’s role model was the Brazilian legend Marta. After leaving Malawi at the age of 18 to play in Sweden, she fulfilled a dream by playing against her while representing Kvarnsvedens IK. Having signed for Wuhan Jiangda in 2021, Chawinga was sent on loan to Europe, first playing for Internazionale, where she bcecame the first African woman to finish as top goalscorer in the Italian league, before a second loan spell last season at Paris Saint-German.
At the French club, she gained her first experience of playing in the UEFA Women’s Champions League. In the qualifying round game away to Manchester United, Chawinga became the first Malawian player – either male or female – to play in, and score in the Champions League, with her first-half goal at the Leigh Sports Village.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Tabitha Chawinga scores their side’s first goal of the game during the UEFA … More
“I’m the first Malawian to play in the UEFA Champions League and also to score in the Champions League a year ago. People in Malawi, they are proud of me and people, they have heard of me. Not only in Malawi but the whole continent of Africa. They have appreciation there. We need to become stronger and stronger as well in Africa.”
In 2021, Nigerian Asisat Oshoala became the first African woman to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League with FC Barcelona. If she can help Lyon to a ninth European title next month, Chawinga would become the second, and the first-ever soccer player – male of female – from Malawi, a country that has never qualified for a men’s or women’s World Cup. As national team captain, Chawinga desires that more of the country’s players will gain experience of playing abroad to strengthen Malawi’s hopes in the international game.
Chawinga’s younger sister Temwa is currently playing in the NWSL for Kansas City Current and in her first year at the club, won the Golden Boot as top goalscorer as well as being voted the Most Valuable Player in the League. In 2023, Temwa was the leading female goalscorer in the world with 63 goals in all compeitions.
In addition, until the transfer of Naomi Girma in January, two of the three most expensive players in the world were also from Africa. The NWSL clubs Bay FC and Orlando Pride paid out a combined total of close to $1.5 million for the services of Zambian strikers Racheal Kundananji and Barbra Banda in 2024.
Chawinga believes all these players should act as inspiration for girls in a continent where attitudes to females pursuing a career in sport often restrict opportunities to access facilities. “As you can see, from our background in Africa , we do this – especially me – I do this for the young kids.”
“Some other people, they think they cannot do it, the young girls. But if they look at me, if they look at Asisat, they look at my sister Temwa, they look at Banda, I think they believe it, that they can do it. You know, Africa is very strong. If we come together to talk to the young girls, I think we will they will do better than we have done.”