Chawinga sisters drive Malawi into 2026 WAFCON final in Morocco
Sisters Tabitha and Temwa Chawinga have steered Malawi to the final of the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they meet Cameroon on Sunday at 19:00 GMT. The pair have been Malawi's primary scorers at the tournament, contributing nine of the team's 12 goals, with Temwa sharing the tournament lead on five goals alongside Zambia's Barbra Banda.
Malawi, making their WAFCON debut and ranked 153rd in the world, have been described as the surprise package of the competition. Both sisters have extensive club resumes and multiple trophies at club level, and their performances have powered the Scorchers' run to the final. Tabitha, born 22 May 1996 in Rumphi, played as a child with boys using makeshift balls and has recounted the early opposition she faced: "Growing up, I never saw myself as different from boys." She later moved to DD Sunshine in Lilongwe, the club that began her pathway abroad.
Tabitha's route to Europe began in 2014 after an American associated with an NGO linked her to Swedish third-tier side Krokom Dvärsätts; DD Sunshine owner David Dube paid her visa and flight costs so she could trial. "When Krokom Dvarsatts hesitated, Mr Dube offered to pay visa and flight costs for me to travel to Sweden for trials," she said. She scored 39 goals in 14 games at Krokom Dvärsätts, then netted 43 goals for second-tier Kvarnsveden to help win promotion and finished as the Swedish top-flight's leading scorer in 2017.
After a six-year spell in China that yielded three league titles, three golden boots and two player of the season awards, Tabitha had a productive loan with Inter Milan in 2022-23 that produced the Serie A golden boot. She said after that achievement: "My goal is to achieve for African people." Tabitha moved to Paris St-Germain, became the first Malawian woman to play and score in the UEFA Champions League in 2023, and later joined Lyon, where she scored 11 goals as the club reclaimed the domestic league title last season and played in the Champions League final defeat by Barcelona.
Temwa, born 20 September 1998 and whose name means "love" in Tumbuka, followed Tabitha's pathway through DD Sunshine and Kvarnsveden after her sister recommended her to European clubs. Temwa told BBC Sport Africa that Tabitha had been "instrumental" in her career and had advised her to persevere. She scored 35 league goals in Sweden in 2019 and then moved to Wuhan Jianghan, helping the club to four consecutive league titles, including the 2021 edition alongside Tabitha.
In 2023 Temwa led the world in calendar-year goals with 51 for her Chinese club and 12 for Malawi; she reflected on that accolade: "When I found out I was so happy. I didn't believe it, but it was so amazing." Kansas City Current signed her for the NWSL, where she was the division's top scorer in her 2024 debut season with 20 goals and added 15 the following year; the Current finished the regular campaign with the best record but were beaten in the play-offs, and Temwa was named league MVP in both seasons.
Both players have been prolific for Malawi since making their international debuts — Tabitha in 2011 and Temwa in 2016 — and have combined to lift the national side through the tournament. Tabitha usually serves as captain, while Temwa captained Malawi to the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations Women's Championship title in 2023. Tabitha said before WAFCON: "I was waiting to qualify for the [Women's] Africa Cup of Nations [for] a long time," adding that she tells her teammates: "Don't be shy, don't be scared'." Malawi upset 10-time champions Nigeria in their opener, finished above 2022 semi-finalists Zambia in Group C, came from behind to beat Ghana 2-1 in the quarter-finals — thereby sealing qualification for next year's FIFA Women's World Cup — and both sisters scored in the semi-final win over Algeria.
Malawi FA boss Fleetwood Haiya has credited funds from FIFA as aiding the women's team's progress, while the Chawinga sisters have urged greater investment. Temwa said: "If we can put money in Malawi to support girls' football I think there can be so many like me and Tabitha." Should Malawi win the final, they would become only the fourth nation to lift the WAFCON trophy after Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and South Africa, with the sisters central to that outcome.
