Temwa Chawinga nominated for two FIFA awards

Scorchers vice-captain Temwa Chawinga continues to raise Malawi’s profile on the world stage after being nominated for two awards in the Best FIFA Football Awards 2025.

Chawinga is the only African women’s footballer nominated for Best Women’s Player in the World. She has also been shortlisted for the best attacker position in the Best Women’s 11 alongside Zambia’s Barbra Banda.

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The nominations follow her outstanding performances with Kansas City Current in the USA, where she has won back-to-back golden boot awards in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

In 2024, she broke the record for most goals scored in a single NWSL season with 20 goals and has defended her golden boot this season with 15 goals. Her brilliance helped the team win their first-ever NWSL Shield this year, and she now hopes to lead them to their first NWSL Championship playoff victory.

She is also a strong contender for the league’s Most Valuable Player award, having recorded the most goal involvements (18) in the NWSL this season. She won the same award last season.

Beyond club football, Chawinga has been nominated for the CAF Women’s Player of the Year award alongside her sister, Tabitha Chawinga, and is considered the favourite to win.

Former Flames player and now soccer pundit Ojuku Malunga praised Chawinga’s nominations, saying they will benefit Malawi as a nation.

“This will encourage big teams around the world to look for talent in Malawi because it will build trust that Malawian talent is world-class,” said Malunga.

Chawinga was also nominated for the Ballon d’Or this year, finishing 17th and becoming the second Malawian to earn the nomination after her sister Tabitha, who was nominated for the FIFA Best awards in 2023 after stellar performances with Inter Milan and PSG, where she won golden boot awards with both clubs.