* Without the back-to-back Golden Boot and MVP winner in the lineup through Matchweek 3, Kansas City Current have failed to recreate the magic of last year’s attack
* While having their star playmaker back on the pitch is sure to help, it remains to be seen just how much game action Temwa have
By Duncan Mlanjira
Temwa TC6 Chawinga has recovered from her hip injury (SEI) she sustained in October has officially been removed from the season ending injury (SEI) list and expected to be used in Kansas City Current’s National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Matchweek 4 game against Gotham FC tomorrow.
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In its preview of the weekend games, NWSL Media takes cognizance that without Temwa, the back-to-back Golden Boot and Most Valuable Player (MVP) winner, in the lineup through Matchweek 3, Kansas City Current “have failed to recreate the magic of last year’s attack, even with midfielder Croix Bethune in the mix”.
“But good news came to Kansas City on Friday morning — Chawinga is back after being out on injury [and] while having their star playmaker back on the pitch is sure to help, it remains to be seen just how much game action she’ll see.”
Last season’s action between the two sides
The NWSL further reports that Gotham FC are also struggling having scored just one goal this year through Esther González’s game-winner in the first match of the year as Kansas City dropped points in last three.
Meanwhile, Temwa will be playing catch up in race for the Golden Boot, since her arch rival, Orlando Pride’s Zambian forward, Barbra Banda, has scored three goals through Matchweek 3 along with Angel City’s Sveindís Jónsdóttir — with both “showing little signs of slowing down”.
They are also described as two of the league’s most consistent and exciting goal scorers and in addition Orlando have Jacquie Ovalle as having sights to some goals since she has scored one and assisted two.
Barbra Banda
Gotham FC date Kansas City Current after a scoreless draw against Orlando Pride in last Matchweek, a game that is a repeat of last season’s Challenge Cup between the reigning NWSL Shield and Championship winners.
“Despite last season’s success, both clubs have started the 2026 season off with less of the efficiency they ended the last with. Both teams won the first game of the season, but have yet to take home three points since,” reports NWSL.
According to Kansas City’s The Star, “the reigning two-time league MVP, Temwa TC6 has been sorely missed” adding “while it’s over simplistic to attribute all of the Current’s early-season struggles to the absence of the star forward, that void has reverberated since the 27-year-old sat down — mid-match, with an adductor hip injury — in the middle of the field at Houston last October”.
“The Current has since gone 2-4-0 across all competitions. KC was ousted from last season’s National Women’s Soccer League quarterfinals by this weekend’s opponent, Gotham FC.
“The good news? At long last, Chawinga is returning. The Current (1-3-0) will activate her off the NWSL’s season-ending injury list ahead of Saturday afternoon’s game at CPKC Stadium.
“Chawinga, 27, has scored 35 goals combined the last two years, breaking the league record for goals in a season (20). But it’s not just her goals that the team in Kansas City needs — her pressing abilities and defensive work rate will help, too,” reads the report.
Temwa Chawinga celebrates a win with team KC Current’s co-owner Chris Long last season