Scorchers’ striker Vanessa Chikupira and defender Bernadette Mkandawire have signed for Kazakhstan women’s top-tier football league club Biik-Kazygurt.
Chikupira has penned a three-year deal from Zambian side Green Buffaloes Women while Mkandawire has signed a two-year contract from FCB Nyasa Big Bullets Women.
Both players were not available for comment yesterday, but Bullets acting chief executive officer Albert Chigoga in an interview yesterday confirmed that the two were expected to leave for the Eurasian country yesterday.
The development means the number of Malawi women’s football players overseas has now increased from four to six as the country also has Tabitha Chawinga and Rose Kabzere in France as well as Temwa Chawinga and Chioma Okafor in the United States of America (USA).
Overall, Malawi has 12 players in foreign leagues, including Ireen Khumalo, Emily Jossam and Madyina Ngulube based in Zambia, Chimwemwe Madise and Sabina Thom in the Democratic Republic of Congo as well as Mary Chabvinda in Rwanda.
Chigoga said Bullets, who sold Chikupira to Buffaloes a year ago, stand to get a 20 percent cut on Chikupira’s deal and a full amount on Mkandawire’s contract.
“When we sold Chikupira to Buffaloes, we agreed a 20 percent on-sale cut if the Zambian side sells the player to any other team. As for Mkandawire, we are set to get a full sum since she was our player and we will tie her to a similar condition with the Kazakhstan side,” he said.
National Women’s Football Association (NWFA) chairperson Adellaide Migogo yesterday described the players’ deals as a huge step in the country’s women’s football growth.
“It is pleasing to note that we continue to export players to big leagues despite the fact that we enter a few international competitions and we hardly have any corporate partners,” she said.
“This shows that there is something we are doing right and we can shine brighter if the corporate companies come in to support women’s football. We are very proud of Chikupira and Mkandawire.”
On his part, Scorchers coach Lovemore Fazili said he was very excited with the development as it will help to strengthen the women’s football national team.
Biik-Kazygurt, also known as Biik Shymkent, are women’s football champions in Kazakhstan who regularly compete in the Uefa Women’s Champions League.
In the 2022/23 Champions League they finished in Round One of the
Qualifying stage following a 0-2 loss to Ukrainian side FC Vorskla Poltava.
