* As she rewrites National Women Soccer League history with record-breaking season and 2024 MVP title
* And also nominated for the 2024 Confédération of African Football (CAF) Women’s Player of the Year
By Duncan Mlanjira
For setting a new benchmark of excellence in the USA’s National Women Soccer League (NWSL) by being voted the 2024 Most Valuable Player (MVP), Temwa Chawinga might perhaps come out top for the 2024 Confédération of African Football (CAF) Women’s Player of the Year, which she has been nominated for.
The coveted for African title, which has eluded her fellow sensational sister Tabitha, is set to be unveiled on December 16 in Marrakech, Morocco, but it covers the period between January 2024 and October 2024.
For the CAF title, she is alongside six other nominees from the Council for the Southern African Football Associations (COSAFA) nations — her sister Tabitha (Olympique Lyonnais, France); her rival in the US, Zambian Barbara Banda (Orlando Pride); Racheal Kundananji (Zambia/Bay FC, US); Jermaine Seoposenwe (South Africa/Monterrey, Mexico) and Thembi Kgatlana (South Africa/Tigres UANL, Mexico).
The others are Chiamaka Nnadozie (Nigeria/Paris FC, France); Rasheedat Ajibade(Nigeria/Atletico Madrid, Spain); Sanaa Mssoudy (Morocco/AS FAR, Morocco) and Sandrine Niyonkuru (Burundi/FC Masar, Egypt).
Temwa’s incredible season has shattered records and etched her name in history as first player to score 20 goals in a single season; first to score in 8 consecutive matches; first to score against all 13 active teams in a single season; first to achieve 26 goal contributions in one season; and first Golden Boot and MVP winner for the Kansas City Current.
Headlined; ‘Temwa Chawinga rewrites NWSL history with record-breaking season and 2024 MVP title’, the One Football article says few could have predicted Temwa’s impact when she signed with Kansas City Current ahead of the NWSL 2024 season.
“Fast forward, and the Malawian forward has broken all records with 20 goals in the regular season, going on to cement a place as one of the most dominant players the NWSL has ever seen.
“Named MVP of 2024, Chawinga was the first player in Current’s franchise history to take the honor — a first that was more than the demonstration of her talent but one of determination to change what could be considered possible.”
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The article continues to observe that Temwa’s first NWSL season “is nothing short of spectacular [as] she broke Sam Kerr’s 2019 goal-scoring record and became the first player in league history to score against every team in a single season”.
“In the regular season alone, Chawinga notched 20 goals and six assists, combining for a total of 26 direct goal contributions-setting a new benchmark of excellence for the NWSL.
“That fact that she was able to score in an unbeaten streak of eight straight games between June and September showed that she could find her way to the back of the net, no matter the circumstance. “Whether battling through torrential rain against the North Carolina Courage or scoring the game-winner against the Utah Royals, Chawinga stopped at nothing.
“Consistency up-front that allowed Kansas City Current to rise to the top echelons of the league also gave the team confidence to compete at the highest level.”
The report further quotes Temwa’s head coach Vlatko Andonovski as saying since her arrival at the club, “she brought vibrancy and leadership to inspire the entire team”.
“She’s not only an exceptional player on the field, but an incredible teammate — ingredients that make a championship-winning squad.”
One Football goes on to credit Temwa’s presence in the team saying it was evident in critical junctures throughout the season, giving an example of Kansas City Current’s “pulsating 5-4 victory over Portland Thorns during her debut of CPKC Stadium, where she set the way and signified what was to come”.
“Then, in the Summer Cup final against Gotham FC, Chawinga kept both goals to seal it for the Current, showing once again that she rises to the big moments.
“What then makes Chawinga’s achievements even more brilliant is that she achieved all this in her maiden season competing in a highly challenging league against some of the world’s top defenders.
“This is the kind of performance that not only reshapes the perception of a player but also elevates her club’s stature on the global stage of women’s soccer.
Chawinga faced stiff competition in the names of some of the league’s biggest stars, such as Marta and Orlando Pride’s Barbra Banda, Trinity Rodman of Washington Spirit, and Portland Thorns’ Sophia Smith — however, the record-breaking performances by Chawinga had been outstanding among the staunch field of finalists.
“There was just no doubt about it-the year 2024 belonged to Temwa Chawinga,” concluded the report by One Football media.
Sister power
For her sister, Tabitha, this is the 6th time she has been nominated for the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award but it has eluded her despite some phenomenon attributes of the player in which she has etched a niche in women’s football to win the Golden Boot in three of her host countries — Sweden, China and Italy prior to joining France’s Olympique Lyonnais.
In 2023, she capped a prolific year by being named Italy women’s league Player of the Year — a prestigious award from Italian Footballers’ Association — and also chosen as the league’s Best XI, but that did not earn enough votes for her to considered in the final three nominees for the CAF Player of the Year.
She was nominated for CAF Player of Year award alongside her sister, Temwa — who steered the Malawi Scorchers to their first-ever international title when they won the 2023 COSAFA Championship
Temwa was stand-in captain for the Scorchers as Tabitha remained in France to honour her team’s assignments that included the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
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