Malawi women’s football poster girl Tabitha Chawinga is living her dream on and off the pitch after becoming the first Malawian to make the Ballon d’Or nomination list.
This follows her outstanding performances for top French side Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) last season.
Tabitha is also one of the two African footballers on the list alongside Zambian star Barbra Banda who plays for United States’ Orlando Pride.
The 28-year-old Malawian, who recently joined another leading French team Olympique Lyonnais Feminine, will compete against fellow top players in the world for the accolade.
Some of the top footballers that Tabitha will compete (Spain, Barcelona), Lucy Bronze (England, Manchester City), Grave Geroyo (France, PSG), Lauren James (England, Chelsea) and Ada Hegerberg (Norway, Lyon).against are Aitana Bonmati
Tabitha said she feels honoured to be among the nominees for the award.
’’I thank God for everything. It is my dream to win the award one day,’’ she said.
However, her sister, Temwa, who was the overall top goal scorer in the world with 63 goals for both club and country, has missed out on the list of nominees.
Temwa has also started her career with Kansas City Current in the US on a high as she is the leading scorer with 14 goals.
Nigerian striker Asisat Oshoala, who is the reigning African Women’s Footballer of the Year, is also not on the list.
Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya hailed Tabitha for the nomination.
’’This is a very big statement of how far our football can go. We wish Tabitha all the best as she is representing Malawi and making all of us proud,’’ Haiya wrote on his Facebook page.
Tabitha had an incredible season while on loan at PSG last year where she scored 29 goals with 14 assists in 38 matches.
The exploits were enough to win her the 2023 Player of the Season award and Golden Boot award.
National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) chairperson Adelaide Migogo also hailed Tabitha for her exploits.
’’This is a motivation to the girl child. Tabitha has set the pace and I am sure more girls will emulate the example she is setting,’’ Migogo said.
In 2022, Tabitha made history as the first African to win the Golden Boot award in Italy after scoring 23 goals in 21 matches for Italian side Inter Milan Women.
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