* For her outstanding 2023/24 season, scoring 19 goals in Division 1 Féminine for her former club Paris St. Germanie (PSG)
* And netting six goals in 12 UEFA Champions League appearances that earned her the D1 Arkema Player of the Season award
By Duncan Mlanjira
Malawi Scorchers captain, Tabitha Chawinga, who plies her trade with Olympique Lyonnais Féminin in France, has been honoured with two accolades at the Malawi Sports Awards 2024 — Sportswoman of the Year and Sports Personality of the Year.
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For the Sports Woman of the Year, Tabitha was nominated alongside her sister Temwa (Kansas City Current-USA) — and were are the only final nominees.
Tabitha had an outstanding 2023/24 season, scoring 19 goals in Division 1 Féminine for her former club PSG and netting six goals in 12 UEFA Champions League appearances — a stellar performances earned her the D1 Arkema Player of the Season award.
She was also named in both the UEFA Champions League and CAF Best XI of the Year and she made history for Malawi, by becoming the first player from the country to be nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or in 2024, finishing in an impressive 16th place globally.
Most recently, she played a key role in the Scorchers 3-2 victory over Zambia on February 25, 2025, directly contributing two goals during the FIFA sanctioned international friendly in preparation for the second round of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026 qualifiers against Angola in October.
Whilst in Zambia, Tabitha and Temwa were honoured by the host FA at its awards gala in Lusaka for their exceptional accomplishments and their role in advancing women’s football.
At the gala held at Taj Pamodzi Hotel, FAZ president Andrew Kamanga, awarded the two sisters with certificates of recognition for their outstanding contributions that is setting a benchmark for excellence in women’s sport.
Last year, both Tabitha and Temwa, were nominated in the top five of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) Women’s African Player of the year award Awards 2024 but were voted out from the top three nominees’ list.
They left the contest to Zambia’s Barbra Banda, who was up against Moroccan Sanaâ Mssoudy and Nigeria goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie and won by the Zambian.
This was the 6th time for Tabitha to be nominated for the African Player of the Year award but it has eluded her despite some phenomenon attributes of the player in which she etched a niche in women’s football to win the Golden Boot in three of her host countries — Sweden, China and Italy.
She has been beaten to it by Nigerian Asisat Oshoala, who is the holder of the 2023 award, who leads as top winner with six accolades, two more than compatriot Perpetua Nkwocha.
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Meanwhile, at the Malawi Sports Awards 2024 gala — hosted by the Malawi National Council of Sports yesterday, September 28 at Sunbird Nkopola in Mangochi — bodybuilder Zacheus Phiri has won Sportsman of the Year award beating Rodgers Zako (darts) and Samil Mohammad Sohail (cricket).
Swimming star, Tasunje Mkavea won the Junior Male Sportsperson of the Year, who was nominated alongside Alipo Namangale (chess) and Suhail Zahid Vayani (cricket).
Mkavea had an outstanding 2024, which also culminated in December when he won three medals, silver and two bronze for Team Malawi swimming team at the Africa Aquatics Zone IV Swimming Championship 2024, held in Windhoek, Namibia.
Junior Female Sportsperson of the Year went to Samantha Mwamodwe (karate) whose other nominees were Eneless Fabiano (football) and Eva Kabwere (cricket) and Samatha Mwamondwe (karate).
Sportsman of the Year with disability went to Moses Misoya, who beat Victor Chikuse (Special Olympics) and last year’s winner, Mphatso Saukile (Paralympics) while Sportswoman with Disability is Taonere Banda (Para-athlete) ahead of another para-athlete Estere Nagoli and Nancy Verani (Special Olympics).
Coach of the Year is cricket’s Gershom Ntambalika, who beat netball’s Christina Mkwanda and football’s Peter Mponda, who was nominated having steered Silver Strikers to their triumph of the TNM Super League 2024 title in 11 years.
Mponda was named Coach of the Year at the FAM Awards gala also for his role in mentoring Silver Strikers and also won the Sports Personality of the Year in the MBC Entertainers of the Year Awards.
There was only two final nomination for National Team of the Year, which went to Under-19 women’s cricket while the best Sports Association has gone to Malawi Cricket Union, ahead of chess and netball.
Chess won the Best Executed Sport Development Programme of the Year for its Chess in Schools, nominated alongside junior golf and Mpira M’mudzi Mwathu while Sports Administrator went to Vitumbiko Gubuduza ahead of Joseph Kawelama (karate) and Joe Zangazanga (darts).
For their excellent coverage of sports, journalists were also recognised in which Best Print award went to Times Group’s Mphatso Malidadi ahead of fellow Times Group colleague, Peter Fote and Nation Publications’ Solomon Manda.
In the Electronic category is Raymond Siyaya Jnr of Chanco Community Radio, beating Bright Kanyama (Zodiak) and TV Islam’s Yasin Limu.
* Weather update; Cyclone Honde and tonight’s & tomorrow’s weather
