Temwa Chawinga tells Zambia online media Bola News that she is not happy with how FAM handled her request to be excused from national duty

* She wrote the team manager, and she was hoping for an answer. Now she is bitter while asking the team manager to explain who leaked their conversation

* This is the only time I have excused myself from national duty. As for the other engagements, I missed them due to injuries. I am honest

By Duncan Mlanjira

Temwa Chawinga is reported by Zambia’s online media, Kansas City Current international Bola-News-as-indicating-that-she-is-not-happy with how Football Association of Malawi (FAM) handled her request to be excused from taking part in the international friendlies against Tanzania in preparation for next month’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAfCON) Morocco 2026.

Bola News reports that Temwa — who faced a backlash when The Nation on Sunday exposed that she will not be able to join the Scorchers camp ahead of the friendlies in Dar es Salaam —  contacted the team’s manager Ivy Zimba, requesting that she be excused as she planned to fly to China to buy materials for her house project back home.

The online media quotes a source that the forward, who is also vice-captain to her sister, Tabitha, indicating that she “wrote the team manager, and she was hoping for an answer [but] she is now bitter while asking the team manager to explain who leaked their conversation”.

Bola News contacted Temwa, who is quoted as saying: “This is the only time I have excused myself from national duty. As for the other engagements, I missed them due to injuries. I am honest.”

She maintained that people can express their feelings as “it is their right, and I cannot stop them. People should know that I remain fully committed to the Scorchers, and I will team up with them soon.”

The last time Temwa played for Malawi was in February 2025 during two international friendlies with Zambia after she captained the Scorchers to their first-ever international title, the COSAFA Women’s Championship 2023 — where she was named player of the tournament, scoring 9 goals.

Meanwhile, the Malawi Scorchers — captained by Tabitha Chawinga who plays for French Ligue side, OL Lyonnes — lost 0-1 to their hosts Tanzania in the first of two international friendlies.

Tanzania are also preparing for the WAfCON and the two teams will face each other again on Saturday. FAM Media reports have head coach Lovemore Fazili has remained positive despite the defeat insisting the performance showed encouraging signs ahead of future assignments.

FAM Media indicates that the Scorchers controlled large spells of the match and created several clear scoring opportunities but failed to convert. Tanzania scored the only goal of the match through captain Anastanzia Katunzi, leaving Malawi to rue missed chances despite a strong overall display.

Fazili is quoted as saying he was encouraged by his team’s attacking intent and ability to compete throughout the match, stressing that the result did not fully reflect the performance.

“The game was okay. I’m not very worried about the result because what makes me happy is that we managed to go forward and create a lot of chances. We also managed to hold them throughout the 90 minutes.”

He added that Malawi could have won the match had they been more clinical in the final third: “…We could have won this game by maybe four or five goals,” he told FAM Media, while also praising the team’s balance across all departments and singled out debutant Talandira Chinyamvula for an impressive first senior appearance.

The Scorchers will participate at the WAfCON 2026 for the first time-ever and are in same group with 10-time WAfCON champions, Nigeria alongside neighbours Malawi, Zambia and North Africans, Egypt.

Nigeria coach has recalled six-time African Women Footballer of the Year award winner, Asisat Oshoala, who plays for Saudi Women’s Premier League club, Al Hillary, for the Super Falcons’ preparation for the WAfCON.

The Super Falcons will play two international friendlies against Senegal tomorrow, June 5 and on Monday, June 8 as final preparation and Oshoala has been called along with Gift Monday, who plays for Washington Spirit — a club in the US NWSL in which Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga plays for Kansas City Current.

Oshoala won the African Women Footballer of the Year award in 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2022, 2023 and was also African Women’s Youth Player of the Year (2014) as well as being voted as IFFHS CAF Best Woman Player of the Decade (2011–2020).

She is widely regarded as one of the best female football players of her generation and is one of the most celebrated African female footballers of all time, having won a host of other accolades — including the BBC Women’s Fooballer of the Year (2015); WAfCON Golden Boot (2014, 2016) and FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Golden Boot (2014).

Oshoala previously played for the English clubs Liverpool and Arsenal and won the FA Cup 2015 with Arsenal while in 2019, she became the first African player to score a goal in UEFA Women’s Champions League final and in 2021 she became the first African woman to win the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

In August 2022, she was the first African woman nominated for the Ballon d’Or Feminin while in 2024, Oshoala became the first African player to win the UEFA Champions League three times.

Thus the Super Falcons are geared to defend their title, who are led by captain Rasheedat Ajibade, who play for French Premiere Feminin Ligue club, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), whose goalkeeper is Chiamaka Nnadozie (who plays for English Women’s Super League side, Brighton & Hove).

On their part, Zambia — captained by Barbra Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride also in the US NWSL — are hosting a 4-Nations Tournament involving Kenya, Zimbabwe and Lesotho.

The skipper is quoted by Africa Top Sports saying the ultimate goal at the WAfCON will be booking a ticket to the FIFA World Cup Brazil™ 2027: “We know it is going to be hard. This is why we are trying everything possible to have good preparations because we know how it feels to go to the World Cup — and that is our aim, going to the WAfCON.”

Beyond the race for the WAfCON 2026, four teams that will qualify into the semi-finals will automatically book a place in FIFA Women’s World Cup Brazil™ 2027 — with two additional nations to be considered for intercontinental play-offs.

Tanzania are also preparing for the WAfCON and the two teams will face each other again on Saturday. Other teams at the WAfCON Morocco 2026 South Africa,Ghana, Senegal; Algeria, Kenya, Burkina Faso and Cape Verde; with Malawi and Cape Verde being the only rookies at the tournament.