Temwa Chawinga

Temwa Chawinga is a Malawian professional footballer who plays as a forward for the Kansas City Current in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the Malawi national team. Chawinga's early years in the Rumphi district of Malawi were marked by challenges, including limited support for girls in soccer. Despite these obstacles, she traveled more than 400 kilometers to Lilongwe to join a girls' team, which led to her discovery by national team scouts.

Chawinga began her professional football career with Swedish club Kvarnsvedens IK, where she scored 55 goals in 57 appearances before transferring to Wuhan Jianghan in China. With Wuhan, she won four consecutive Chinese league titles and became the world's leading goal scorer, recording 51 goals for the club and 12 for Malawi in a single year. Chawinga made her international debut for Malawi at age 18 and later captained the national team at the COSAFA Cup, earning both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball for her nine goals in the tournament.

Since joining the Kansas City Current, Chawinga has set multiple NWSL records, including becoming the first player to score 20 goals in a single season. She has received the NWSL Golden Boot and has been named NWSL Most Valuable Player in consecutive seasons, a first in league history. Chawinga reached 25 regular season goals faster than any other player and achieved 30 regular season goals in just 40 games, surpassing previous records.

Chawinga's contributions have helped the Kansas City Current set league records for points, wins, and consecutive games with multiple goals. She scored the decisive goal to secure the club's first NWSL Shield. Chawinga holds the league record for NWSL Player of the Month awards and ranks second all-time in NWSL Best XI of the Month selections. Her international recognition includes a Ballon d'Or nomination, a top-20 finish in the final rankings, and nominations for the Confederation of African Football Women's Player of the Year and The Best FIFA Women's Player.

Chawinga is recognized for her impact on women's football in Malawi and across Africa. She has expressed hope that her achievements will inspire young girls and encourage scouts from Europe and the NWSL to consider talent from Southern Africa. Chawinga was ranked by The Guardian among the top players in the world, reflecting a career defined by perseverance and a commitment to advancing women's soccer globally.