Temwa Chawinga follows sister’s footsteps

If you thought Sweden-based Tabitha Chawinga was the only soccer gem in her family, then think again! Her youngest sister Temwa is on the right path to becoming another star.

And she proved this on Sunday when she swept the best player and the top goal scorer accolades of the Airtel Rising Stars Tournament at Kamuzu Stadium in Blantyre where she scored a brace to help New Version Private Secondary School beat Namalimwe Community Day Secondary School 4-1 in the finals.

Crispy passes, bags of dribbling skills and hunger for goals make the last born in a family of five daughters a complete football er every coach would want to have in the squad just like her sister, who hogs the limelight for Kvarnsveden IK in the Swedish second-tier league as a leading scorer.

Whenever Temwa got hold of the ball on Sunday, the fans always expected something extraordinary out of her and she did just that; selling dummies to opposition defenders, rounding off the goalkeeper to put the ball into the back of the net with contemptuous ease.

“My sister [Tabitha] taught me not to fear opposition defenders, but take them on and force them into making silly mistakes. She also advised me to have confidence in myself and display any skill that comes to mind at any time. I am following that and it is working for me,” said the 15-year-old, who was also named the tournament’s best player last year.

National Women Football Committee (NWFC) chairperson SeveriaChalira described the rising star as the future of the national team.