Ascent Soccer’s Leticia delivers captivating motivational speech as she is awarded COSAFA’s Most Promising Player of the Year

* To all girls out there with big dreams, keep believing in yourselves because you can achieve anything by working hard

* Thank you for this honour — I promise to keep working hard to inspire others to follow their dreams

By Duncan Mlanjira

Ascent Soccer’s 17-year-old midfielder Leticia Chinyamula attracted a resounding round of applause over her captivating and graceful acceptance speech after been named Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) Most Promising Player of the Year on Thursday in Johannesburg, South Africa.

It certainly was not expected by the high-profile delegates at the awards gala night held in plush Sandton Convention Centre that Leticia would deliver the speech with grace, composure and some mindful words of inspiration for the girls of Malawi, the Southern African region and Africa at large.

In the video clip made available to Maravi Express, Leticia said: “I stand before you filled with pride for the award. It is not only not just for me but is is through team work and support that got me here.

“For the coaches fellow players and the fans, thank you for believing in me and for pushing me to be at my best. To all girls out there with big dreams, keep believing in yourselves because you can achieve anything by working hard.

“Thank you for this honour — I promise to keep working hard to inspire others to follow their dreams and to represent women football proudly,” she said.

All along, the camera’s were panning on the delegates’ faces, who were all in obvious awe with mouths agape as being impressed by her grace and composure and as soon as she concluded, she attracted the huge round of applause.

The Malawi Scorchers gold medal winner of the COSAFA Women’s Championship 2023 was nominated alongside Ascent Soccer team mate and two-times Malawi women’s Player of the Year, 17-year-old Rose Kadzere as well as third nominee for the award — 19-year-old Esther Banda of Zambia.

Both Leticia and Rose starred for the Malawi Scorchers in November, in the five tournament wins over hosts from South Africa, Mozambique, Madagascar, eSwatini and Zambia in the final.

Leticia netted a pair of goals while Rose added a goal and four assists while Ascent Soccer — which continues to emerge as one of the top female academy set-ups in the region — contributed five players to the tournament.

Two other Malawians were nominated for the awards — Scorchers’ showstopper, Mercy Sikelo for Goalkeeper of the Year and Wyson Mustafa as a nominee for the Most Promising Referee category.

Malawi top player with France’s Paris St. Germain (PSG), Tabitha Chawinga was also nominated for the COSAFA Women’s Player of the Year but it went to Zambian, Racheal Kundananji.

The men’s Player of the Year award went to South Africa and Egyptian giants, Al Ahly star, Percy Tau for his consistent and top performances for both club and country.

South African club, Mamelodi Sundowns, that won the inaugural African Football League title, took away three awards — men’s Coach of the Year (Rulani Mokwena); men’s Goalkeeper of the Year (Ronwen Williams); Most Promising Player (Thapelo Maseko) and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year (Andile Dlamini) who was instrumental in her club’s recent CAF Women’s Champions League title.

Other awards for South Africa were through Banyana Banyana coach Desiree Ellis as the best Women’s Coach of the Year while seasoned commentator and revered African football journalist, Mark Gleeson was honoured with a Lifetime Achievement in Services to Media for his years of services in African football.

Other awards include Referee of the Year (Angola’s Jerson Dos Santos for men); Zambia’s Diana Chikotesha (women’s); Madagascar’s Tsiaro Randriambololoma (Most Promising Referee); South Africa’s Victor Gomes (COSAFA Legend); Janine van Wyk (Lifetime Achievement in Services as a Player); Felix Tangawarima (Lifetime Achievement in Services to Refereeing); Fran Hilton-Smith (Lifetime Achievement in Services to Women Football) and Sunday Chidzambwa (Lifetime Achievement in Services to coaching).