Tabitha Chawinga’s 2014 move to Sweden marked a turning point for Malawian football. She became the first Malawian woman to play in Europe, charting an unlikely path from village pitches to a third-tier club. Twelve years later, the combined experience of Tabitha and her younger sister Temwa is propelling the Scorchers, the lowest-ranked team at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, into their first continental final.
Malawi faces Cameroon in Sunday’s final in Morocco at 19:00 GMT. The Chawinga sisters have accounted for nine of the team’s 12 goals. Temwa, with five goals, shares the Golden Boot lead with Zambia’s Barbra Banda. Tabitha’s extensive club experience provides the senior pedigree behind a campaign that has transformed the tournament debutants from outsiders into finalists.
The final in Morocco also highlights the commercial draw of major international tournaments, including the potential value of tourists and wagering for host cities. On the pitch, however, the immediate return for Malawi has been measured in goals: three-quarters of their total have come from the two sisters.
Tabitha’s Sweden opportunity was funded from Malawi
Tabitha, 30, was born on May 22, 1996, in Rumphi, northern Malawi. She played her first football with boys in her village, using a ball made from plastic or paper. She never saw herself as different from them.
“Whatever they did I believed I could,” she told the BBC.
Her commitment faced opposition at home and among friends. Tabitha told Africa Daily in 2023 that her mother was embarrassed by her playing football. People suggested she would not marry or did not want to attend school. Friends also told her that women could not play football.
Her pathway to professional football began with a move to DD Sunshine in Lilongwe. An American working for a non-governmental organization spent time at the Malawian club before relocating to Sweden and joining Krokom Dvarsatts, then a third-tier side.
DD Sunshine owner David Dube suggested the Swedish club give Tabitha a trial. When Krokom Dvarsatts hesitated, Dube offered to pay the visa and flight costs for her journey to Sweden, according to Tabitha. This decisive backing covered the practical cost of a trial before any guarantee of a contract or sporting return.
“I joined the team and they were immediately impressed with my strength, dribbling, shooting from far and scoring skills,” Tabitha said.
European returns now underpin Malawi’s title bid
Tabitha had to wait until after her 18th birthday to make her debut in Sweden, but her impact was immediate. She scored 39 goals in 14 games, making her the first Malawian woman to play in Europe and laying the foundation for further progress at second-tier Kvarnsveden.
While transfer fees, wages, or contract terms from Tabitha’s subsequent moves are not disclosed, she has since won silverware for some of football’s biggest clubs. The financial risk taken to get her to Sweden was limited to the visa and flight support provided by DD Sunshine’s owner.
Her most recent club achievement came with Lyon, where she scored 11 goals as the French side reclaimed their domestic league title last season. Lyon were beaten in the Women’s Champions League final, but Tabitha’s domestic output underlined her continuing value at elite club level.
For Malawi, that club pedigree is now paired with Temwa’s five-goal tournament haul. The sisters will attempt to convert their nine goals, out of Malawi’s 12 at the finals, into the country’s first Women’s Africa Cup of Nations title against Cameroon on Sunday.
